Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on December 16th, 2021
Be honest; who hears the theme music when anyone even mentions The Addams Family? I know I do, and then I have to resist the urge to do the finger snaps. Just in time for the release of the animated version comes the double release of The Addams Family and its sequel, The Addams Family: Family Values, featuring Raul Julia and Angelica Huston as Gomez and Morticia Gomez, and let’s not forget Christopher Lloyd and Christina Ricci as Fester and Wednesday Gomez respectively. Based on the wildly popular cartoons that appeared in the New Yorker that went on to find success as television series, the The Addamses are a satirical inversion of the ideal 20th-century American family.
The first film finds the family thriving, but without an essential member, Fester, who after a falling out with his brother Gomez, leaves for the Bermuda Triangle, not to be heard from for 25 years. Looking to capitalize on Gomez’s guilt over the situation is the family lawyer Tully, who is in deep to loan shark and con woman Abigail Craven. When Craven and her son Gordon, who is the splitting image of Fester, come to collect, Tully hatches a scheme to have Gordon pose as Fester to find the hidden vault where the Addams family fortune is kept.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on December 10th, 2021
You could say that West Side Story goes back to 1957 with the iconic collaboration of composer Leonard Bernstein and the very recently deceased lyricist Stephen Sondheim. But that isn't exactly true. The play was a modern retelling of William Shakespeare's equally iconic Romeo And Juliet. Instead of Capulets and Montagues, we have street gangs from 1950's New York City. All of the beats are there and then some. The legendary Robert Wise adapted the play as a film in 1961, which has deservedly gone on to classic status. And there it all sits for 60 years outside of the expected revivals and local productions of the work. Along comes Steven Spielberg who wanted to create a film as homage to his father. Their shared love of the source material here has led to a new film that is likely to captivate a new generation of fans, while also being a love letter to those of us who loved the original ... including Steven Spielberg's pop. The film is a complicated experience, to say the least. It has its shares of ups and downs, to be sure. But does it have the heart and soul of the original material. The answer is a guarded yes.
If you don't know the story, shame on you. I had to admonish a fellow critic who came to the film having never seen the original. Fully shamed, I hope he's corrected that oversight by now. Tony is played by Ansel Elgort. He's a somewhat inactive member of the street gang The Jets. Gang leader Riff (Faist) is itching to have an all-out rumble with rival gang The Sharks. He wants a kind of winner-takes-all event that settles their "beefs" once and for all. He's trying to convince Tony to support the gang and participate in the expected rumble. Tony isn't convinced. The challenge is set to go down at an upcoming dance, where Tony falls in love at first sight with Maria, played by Rachel Zegler. Isn't love just grand? The problem is that Maria's brother Bernardo, played by David Alverez is the leader of The Sharks. Just the fact that they are talking to each other at the dance infuriates brother Bernardo. Now he's even more wanting that rumble, and he wants the Jets to make sure Tony is there, because he wants to take him out personally. The two lovers spend the next 24 hours before the scheduled fight together growing even closer. Tony convinces Maria he can stop the bloodshed, but this is after all a tragedy, and that's not really going to fit into the template. Don't blame me. Blame Willie S. for dooming these star-crossed lovers from the start.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 10th, 2021
Over the past decade we’ve seen a resurgence in reboots, remakes, and anthologies, so it isn’t much of a surprise that the beloved horror anthology Creepshow would get the reboot treatment. To be fair, this is an extension from what the first films set out to be, though the big difference is that instead of just being a film with a few stories, it is now a TV series, each episode containing two tales to horrify and entertain. When I first heard about the series I was cautiously optimistic. The first two films I consider classics, as do many other fans of the horror genre. Then there was that third Creepshow that I feel we all just want to forget and pretend never really happened. Without George Romero being around, I just wasn’t even sure I’d want to see a show that could possibly just water down everything that was great about the films and simply turn out to be a cheap imitation. Season 1 of the series I enjoyed, and it offered plenty of promise for things to come; did Greg Nicotero and his creative team deliver?
Episode 1 starts of strong with Model Kid/ Public Television of the Dead. I’ll just say I loved this episode. There is a lot of heart put into the first segment about a young boy who is obsessed with all things horror and how he shares his passion with his mother who is very ill. Everything works in this episode, and honestly I wish it was longer, because I simply wanted so much more with the story. The “horror” direction this episode takes is fun and macabre just as it should be for this series, and it definitely sets a tone. Then there is the next segment … This episode was a blast. Just think what could happen if the Necronomicon from Evil Dead was read allowed on a public television network, and the only person that could save humanity was Bob Ross (yes, that artist). While it may not be THE Bob Ross, we definitely get that that is who the character is supposed to be. Even adding Ted Raimi pretty much cements this episode as Evil Dead canon.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on December 9th, 2021
RLJE Films has just released their lycanthrope horror/comedy Werewolves Within on Dec 7th. It's a rather unique take on the often tired werewolf story. I had the chance to talk to the film's director, Josh Ruben. Josh took time out of his busy holiday schedule to talk about the film. I found his insights rather interesting, and I think you might agree. You won't need a wiretap warrant to eavesdrop on the call. Bang it here to listen to my chat with Josh Ruben.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 8th, 2021
When Netflix released The Haunting of Hill House, I fell in love with the series. I have watched it several times since its release, and it continues to hold up. So when it was announced that Mike Flanagan would be returning to do a follow-up series, it was impossible not to get my hopes up. Mike Flanagan is perhaps the best thing to happen to horror in quite a while. He doesn’t depend on gore or crazy special FX, but instead his focus is more on that natural evil that people can do to one another. From Hush to Doctor Sleep to The Haunting of Hill House and his most current work Midnight Mass and all his projects in between, he’s maintained a consistency that I feel ranks him as one of the better visual storytellers of the past decade, and he seems to only get better with each project. With that being said, when I first watched The Haunting of Bly Manor when it first streamed last year, I have to admit I was a little disappointed. Sure, I could acknowledge that he had crafted a good story around the work of Henry James (The Turn of the Screw), but I just didn’t expect it to be more of a gothic romance than a horror story. Now a year later and knowing more what I was getting into, how did the story fare upon a second visit?
The series starts off at a rehearsal dinner for a wedding. A guest, played by Carla Gugino, decides to tell the soon-to-be bride and groom along with some other guests a little ghost story. The story that unfolds is about Dani (Victoria Pedretti), an American who is taking an extended vacation to London and applies to be a caretaker of two young children who live at Bly Manor. When we first see the manor, it looks like what you’d expect an old haunted mansion should look like, with a fog that seems to surround the property at all times. It even comes with a creepy-looking pond. The first episode does a good job of setting up the story. We know Dani is haunted by a mysterious figure she sees in reflections, and then there are the children, Miles (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) and Flora (Amelie Bea Smith), who are equally adorable and creepy at the same time. Then there is the rest of the staff of the manor, Owen (Rahul Kohli), Hannah (T’Nia Miller), and Jamie (Amelia Eve). Sure, there are other characters, but these are the core members of the story, and they are each given some well-written character arcs that are engaging enough that the horror elements really are not even needed to keep the story interesting.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on November 26th, 2021
"It was a name that sounded so sweet ... Synonymous with wealth, style, power. But that name was a curse, too."
If you've ever seen me show up for a movie screening in my sweats and t -shirt, you will know instantly that I'm not going to ever be confused with a person of high fashion. I dress for comfort, and accessorizing usually means I've got shoes and socks on. The jargon of the industry is Greek to me, and I guess sometimes it really is. I've certainly heard of Gucci, but the extent of that knowledge is along the lines of those famous patterned bags that they sell on the street downtown for $20 with no questions asked. Of course those bags often appear to have misspelled the name, so I know a few folks walking around with a Gutchi on their arm and a Rolax on their wrist. I'm guessing that's not exactly dressed for fashion. Ridley Scott rides to the rescue. I still can't tell the bags apart, but I now know a little bit about the famous family that those guys are ripping off.
Posted in: Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on November 26th, 2021
I think I see your problem. You have this list. It’s a list of people you need/want to buy a Christmas gift for. The trouble is that they’re into home theater, and you don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars. You couldn’t tell a Wolf Man from a Wolverine. And you always thought that Paranormal Activity was something too kinky to talk about. Fortunately, Upcomingdiscs has come to the rescue every Christmas with our Gift Guide Spotlights. Keep checking back to see more recommendations for your holiday shopping. These gift guides ARE NOT paid advertisements. We take no money to publish them. With conditions as they are, shopping won't be easy this season. The nice thing about discs is that they're so easy to get from places like Amazon that you can give a great gift and stay perfectly safe while you do it. First up it's Warner Brothers with what I consider the best home theater gift of the season. The Middle Earth Ultimate Collector's Edition.
“The tale grew in the telling until it became a history…”
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on November 25th, 2021
Good story, unique characters, and original music. I’d say that Disney delivers on its 60th animated movie. In recent years, Disney has taken us all over the map as they introduced characters (formerly known as Disney princesses) from all different walks of life. From a Norwegian-inspired kingdom (Arendelle) to the Polynesian island (Motunui), this time taking us to the mountains of Colombia. That has always been something that I appreciated about Disney’s film: their wide-reaching landscape. It’s like the cinematic version of Epcot. Another thing I’m grateful about this film is the fact that I was about to make it a family affair, as my wife and daughter joined me for this experience. It’s been a while since we’ve had a film where we could seek the Nalyce stamp of approval, and now we finally have a candidate. Bottom line up front: it did get her stamp of approval, as well as mine.
Encanto tells the story of a family called the Madrigals, who live in an enchanted town in the mountains of Colombia. When they come of age, every child in their magical house has been granted a unique ability such as strength or healing powers. Every child but one. Mirabel, the only ordinary Madrigal, discovers that the magic is under threat, and she may be the only one able to save it.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 25th, 2021
"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"
Another holiday season and another release of the classic It's A Wonderful Life. This edition looks like a storybook case and has both the restored black & white version as well as the recent colorized versions of the films. If you have one of the UHD 4K collections, you pretty much have the definitive version of the film, and the audio and visual aren't likely to get any better than that. But there are many of you out there who have not made the switch to UHD. This is likely going to be that best ever release for you. You get two versions of the film in an attractive and safe case.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on November 25th, 2021
When we got aboard the Snowpiercer, it would seem like a new world order was going to be happening. Well, that still holds true for Season 2, but not quite the way we were initially imagining. Did you see what I did there, “got aboard,” because it’s a train. OK, OK; that’s my one joke. Last we saw Daveed Diggs’ Layton, he’d finally managed to seize control of the train carrying the last of humanity following an apocalyptic freezing of the planet. His reign is extremely short-lived, however, as he is almost immediately threatened by the return of Mr. Wilford (Sean Bean) and Melanie’s thought-dead daughter, Alexandra (Rowan Blanchard). I can tell you that after this cliffhanger of a season last season, I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation for the next season. And this season doesn’t disappoint, as the power struggle for the train is continued with a new adversaries, as old adversaries become new allies.
The series never takes its foot off the gas, as Layton finds himself thrust into a brand new struggle against the very person responsible for the train that is humanity’s salvation. Last season, Mr. Wilford was thought dead after being left behind by Melanie due to a fear that humanity would not survive under his leadership. She creates an elaborate ruse to keep the idea of Wilford alive in order to keep peace on the train, a ruse that is eventually discovered and leads to a degree of anarchy on the train, resulting in the uprising that has placed Layton in charge. Now he must confront the man who was originally supposed to lead Snowpiercer. In this respect, Melanie’s fears prove right, as Wilford is in possession of a truly sadistic and cruel nature. This nature is shown perfectly in flashback sequences that show just how ruthless the man can be.
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