Not a Review Necessarily - My Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice trailer reaction

I have mixed feelings about Tim Burton's 1988 supernatural comedy, "Beetlejuice." 

Michael Keaton's performance as the titular character is one of my favorite performances of his. It's pure Michael Keaton all the way. He's a natural born comedian who's immensely likeable. He brings that likeability to this comically sinister "bioexorcist" character. 

Keaton is so at ease as Beetlejuice, with his class clown kind of humor and mannerisms. 

In my head, "Beetlejuice" is the most Tim Burton-y movie of Tim Burton movies. It's certainly one of a kind. I can't compare it to any other movie I've seen or know about. 

Some of the jokes in the movie work, and the gimmicky concept of the afterlife as being one big corporate system operated by the dead who appear just as they did when they died is hilarious. 

The set design is unique and unforgettable. It's like a dark ride version of Tim Burton's 1985 movie "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure." 

Beetlejuice, though, is more of a side character in his own movie. The story is really about the small town couple, Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) who pass away and are stuck in their  house as ghosts. 

They have to get use to "life" in the afterlife while attempting to scare away the upscale eccentric Deetz family who move in from New York City. 

What makes Beetlejuice stand out, aside from his unkept hair, molding face, dark eyes, and cartoonish behavior, is how he contrasts with the story around him. 

Outside of the titular character, the movie has a somber tone within a surreal atmosphere. It's a weird mixture of small-town country style side by side with Tim Burton's dark and dreary ambiance sprinkled with awful looking gaudy kitsch artwork. That's part of the comedy, though. 

And Keaton's Beetlejuice contrasts with it all with his slapstick comedy. It's a movie that seems intended to a specific audience. Who that audience is, I have no idea. 

It's Keaton's likeability that surely kept Beetlejuice a pop culture staple ever since his 1988 debut. Though the movie is really aimed at adults, with its adult humor, it still managed to gain the attention and affection of kids. It even managed to get a Saturday morning cartoon that ran for four seasons between 1989 to 1991. I never missed an episode each Saturday morning.  

Thirty-six years later, in this cinematic era when long-awaited sequels come to fruition, a new Beetlejuice movie is coming out in September called "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice." Rumors abounded for years of another Beetlejuice movie in the works. Now, it's a thing. 

Michael Keaton reprises his role as Beetlejuice 36 years
after playing the character in Tim Burton's 1988 movie, "Beetlejuice."

I think a sequel is manageable for the story. Afterall, Beetlejuice is dead, so he's not going anywhere. 

I'm curious enough to wonder what became of the oddball Deetz family. Has this upscale eccentric New York City family managed to adapt to country life in the rural town of Winter River, Connecticut? What became of the ghosts of Adam and Barbara Maitland? My guess is their number was finally called, and they moved onto the great beyond past the afterlife waiting room. 

Above all, what else is there to explore in the afterlife?

I don't get the impression, based on this trailer, that Keaton still has the same comedic energy he did 36 years ago. Then again, it has been a long time. How long is too long? Evidently, it doesn't matter since, again, this is the age of sequels intended to pump new life and interest (money) into older movies past their prime.

The heart of the original movie is the satirical treatment of the afterlife and all the weird dark spiritualism unfortunately associated with it, at least among people who think they know all about the unknown. 

"Beetlejuice" is a ghost story told from the ghosts point of view. The Maitlands are not only thrust into a completely unfamiliar domain that doesn't meet their expectations, they also have to figure out how to haunt their house. It's a clever scenario that's perfect for a comedy setup. There's a lot to do with a scenario like that. Hence, a sequel. 

So, now where does it go?

I bet "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice" will explore the "other side" a little more. It looks as though since the happenings of the first movie, Beetlejuice has started working at a job inside the corporate processes of the afterlife. 

I think the inclusion of Jenna Ortega as "Astrid," who must be Lydia Deetz's (Winona Ryder reprises her role) daughter is a great casting choice. 

Ortega is masterful as Wednesday Addams in Burton's mystery series "Wednesday" based on the "Addams Family" series." I expect she'll be fantastic in this movie! 

Catherine O'Hara also returns as Lydia's mother, Delia Deetz. Again, based on this trailer, she seems to bring a more reserved demeanor with a sense of true sophistication. In the first movie, she's an impulsive and self-absorbed character. Surely that aspect of the character will carry on. I am really intrigued, based on the trailer, what Catherine O'Hara will do with an older Delia who's a grandmother. 

Above all, I truly appreciate Burton utilizing stop motion animation just as he did for the first movie. 

Despite the mixed feelings I have towards the first "Beetlejuice," I'm curious enough to see where Burton will take everything.

Most sequels that have come out years and years after the initial film are really just attempts to rehash old franchises and allow old timers to relive their old movie experiences. This, I'm sure, is following that trend.

There are a few callbacks seen in the trailer which is expected. I anticipate it'll be another attempt to capture the feel of the first flick. That's probably a no-brainer. 

By the way, I have to say, for a dead guy, Beetlejuice has certainly aged considerably. 

189) Teen Wolf (1985)

"Well, dad, it didn't pass me by. It landed on my face."

Director

Rod Daniel

Cast
Michael J. Fox - Scott Howard
James Hampton - Harold Howard
Susan Ursitti - Boof
Jerry Levine - Stiles

Mark Holton - Chubby
Matt Adler - Lewis
Lorie Griffin - Pamela
Jim McKrell - Mr. Thorne
Mark Arnold as Mick
Jay Tarses - Coach Finstock

I'm really pulling the meaning of "horror movie" rather far with 1985's "Teen Wolf." It's not really a "horror" movie as the genre is commonly understood. That is, a horror movie is usually a film intended to frighten its audience. 

Aside from the fact that the main character turns into a werewolf, which are a common horror trope, "Teen Wolf" is not really a horror movie as it's clearly not trying to scare its audience.

Unlike other werewolf movies, this werewolf isn't a ravenous bloodthirsty monster. He maintains his typical teenage personality, and he suddenly becomes really good at basketball. So, I'd categorize "Teen Wolf" as a horror comedy although it's really tame as far as frightening scenes and general horror elements go. 

In fact, "Teen Wolf" even got its own Saturday morning cartoon which ran for two seasons in 1986 and 1987. For some reason, I remember the cartoon airing in the early 1990s. 

Growing up, my family had a VHS copy of "Teen Wolf" which somebody recorded off of television. 

Last week, I stumbled upon a copy of at my local library. I haven't seen the movie since the early to mid 1990s. I watched it a lot in my youth and remember constantly rewinding the werewolf transition scene to really soak in the effects. So now, I was a bit excited to watch it again after about 30 years. 

In this movie, Michael J. Fox plays high school teenager Scott Howard who lives with his dad, Harold (James Hampton). It's implied that his mother has since passed away. 

He lives in a small Nebraska town and... wait! I also live in a small Nebraska town! 

Anyways, Scott plays on the high school basketball team, the Beavers. He's also going through the usual teenage stuff. 

He has a major crush on the popular girl, Pamela Wells (Lorie Griffin). However, she's dating Mick (Mark Arnold) who plays on the rival basketball team, the Dragons. Pamela could care less about Scott. 

His long-time friend, Boof (Susan Ursitti) likes Scott but he's clueless about how she clearly feels. 

Michael J. Fox as 'Teen Wolf' Scott Howard.

Scott is also noticing some odd changes taking place with himself. Hair is suddenly growing on his hands. His ears changing shape in certain moments. His finger nails will suddenly turn into claws. Long hairs are suddenly appearing on his chest. Spooky stuff!

Finally, he can't control these changes and one night he transforms into a werewolf. That same night, his dad reveals he's also a werewolf. 

"An explanation is probably long overdue," his dad says.

Scott doesn't know how to deal with this. 

He first reveals his secret to his oddball friend, Stiles (Jerry Levine) who is shocked at first but promises to keep it a secret.

Finally, when being pummeled on the basketball court during a game, the wolf suddenly comes out in front of everyone. 

As the entire school now knows about Scott being a werewolf, they take a liking to him. He becomes not only Mr. Popular around campus, he's also suddenly good at basketball. And he finally gets the attention he wanted from Pamela Wells, much to Boof's chagrin. Though Pamela goes out with Scott, much to the jealousy of her boyfriend, she declines to actually be his girlfriend as she is still Mick's girlfriend. 

While Scott maintains his school popularity, one person still has it in for him - the Vice Principal, Mr. Thorne (James McKrell). 

He has a vendetta against Scott, which ultimately stems from an incident Thorne had with Scott's dad.

Disappointed with Pamela, Scott asks Boof to the Spring Dance. Boof agrees under the condition that she goes with Scott Howard, not "the wolf." 

Scott declines. People like the wolf. That's who they want to see. So, he goes alone. 

At the dance, he and Boof meet in the school hallway, and kiss. This turns Scott back into his normal self. 

When they return to the dancefloor, an angry and jealous Mick punches Scott in the face. He also starts mocking Boof. Angry, Scott turns back into the wolf and tries to attack him. 

Scott gets a grip on himself and runs into the hallway instead where he meets an all-too-happy Vice Principal Thorne who has Scott right where he wants him, He's about to kick him out of school but Scott's dad comes to his son's aide against Thorne. 

For Scott, he faces a choice to continue on from there as himself or as "the wolf." Despite all the benefits the wolf paved the way for, Scott of course realizes it's better to be who he really is... although he is actually a werewolf so, it's not like he'd be lying to himself or anyone if he chose to be the wolf. 

"Teen Wolf" is as formulaic a coming-of-age movie as it gets. 

Nothing much happens after Scott realizes he's a wolf. He becomes popular and wins the big basketball championship. Outside of Michael J. Fox playing a werewolf, this movie is bland. It carries on in pop culture simply because of Fox. The only dilemma is whether Scott keeps up being the wolf or not. Other than Michael J. Fox playing a werewolf teen, and a few still funny moments. the movie is just boring.

Scott's coach, Mr. Finstock (Jay Tarses) is my favorite character in all this. Perhaps the premise that the coach is rather disinterested in the team has not aged well, the joke that he can't offer any sensical motivational advice to his players to save his life is pretty funny. 

"There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese," he tells Scott in one scene. 

In another scene, when Scott is noticing the odd occurrences taking place, unaware it's his inner werewolf coming out, he goes to his coach in the hopes of receiving some advice. 

"Look Scotty, I know what you're going through," the coach says. "Couple years back, a kid came to me much the same way you're coming to me now, saying the same thing that you're saying. He wanted to
drop off the team. His mother was a widow, all crippled up. She was scrubbing floors. She had this pin in her hip. So, he wanted to drop basketball and get a job. Now these were poor people, these were hungry people with real problems. Understand what I'm saying?"

"What happened to the kid?" Scott asks. 
"I don't know. He quit. He was a third stringer; I didn't need him."

I see this movie as a bit of a spoof of teenage horror movies such as "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" from 1957. In one scene, Scott uses his wolf abilities to scare a liquor store clerk into selling him a keg of beer. 

A few years before its release, an actual horror comedy with the same general premise was released called "Full Moon High" (1981). I've heard it come up in content and conversations about "Teen Wolf", but I have yet to watch it. 

The whole teenage werewolf motif has stuck around for a lot of years. Yeah, yeah... "Twilight." We all know about that. 

The marketing for "Teen Wolf" was heavy with the fact that not only is Michael J. Fox in this but that Michael J. Fox, the star of "Back to the Future," is in this. 

Time has been good to Fox. If it wasn't for him, "Teen Wolf" would surely have fallen into the deep, dark recesses of obscure 80s movies where titles like "Invaders From Mars" (1986), "Hell Comes to Frogtown" (1988) and "Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann" (1982) dwell. 

It's a bit of a nutty professor kind of scenario in that the main character becomes much more popular and liked when he becomes a monster than he is when he's his normal self. 

While Scott Howard isn't so popular at school, when he becomes a werewolf, the students love what he becomes and the success he brings to the Beavers. 

Scott the werewolf is rather novel, but not who he "actually is" personality wise, I guess. He's always been there, but the werewolf side of him was always a secret. At the advice of his dad, Scott has to choose to either be himself regardless of what others think of him or be the superficial wolf and enjoy this newfound popularity for as long as it lasts. 

What's odd is that Scott doesn't start changing until his teenage years. Did he not go through this during his childhood days? And he doesn't learn that his dad also becomes a werewolf until the night when Scott fully changes into the wolf. 

I don't get why his inner werewolf suddenly decides to show itself now at random in his teenage years. It's vaguely implied that it's tied to his hormone changes common with puberty. Later, Scott tells Stiles he can bring out the werewolf whenever he wants. And evidently being a werewolf is a genetic thing, passed down through generations.    

"Teen Wolf" is an alright update to the teenage horror subgenre, though again, it's a real stretch calling it "horror." 

The story line is cut and dry. Once the werewolf shows up, it's a matter of waiting for something else to happen. Though it does still have some funny moments, outside of the novelty of Michael J. Fox being a wolf, the rest is a complete lull. Not to mention the fact it's the only other movie that I know Mark Holton from other than "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure." That is, until I saw him in "Leprechaun." 

Also, is "Boof" a real name? Has anyone out there had a child and declared, "And I shall name her, 'Boof'?" 

188) Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) - NEW TO HORROR

"Kong can't stop this on his own."

Director
Adam Wingard

Cast
Rebecca Hall - Dr. Ilene Andrews
Brian Tyree Henry - Bernie Hayes
Dan Stevens - Trapper
Kaylee Hottle - Jia
Alex Ferns - Mikael
Fala Chen - Iwi Queen
Rachel House - Hampton

🦎Some minor spoilers ahead 🐵

I really regret seeing "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire," currently playing in theaters, before 2023's "Godzilla Minus One" from Japan. I haven't heard anything bad about the latter. And I'm very anxious to see it.
"Godzilla x Kong" is a sequel to the 2021 film "Godzilla vs. Kong" which is a sequel to "Kong: Skull Island" (2017) and "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" (2019). This is the fourth movie in what's being called the "MosterVerse" which starts with the 2014 film "Godzilla." 

It's also the 37th Godzilla film ever. 

I can't write about another Godzilla flick without mentioning my reviews of the first 15 Godzilla flicks which I sat through, one by one, back around Halloween of 2022. That was fun, and I plan to review the next movies during some future Halloween. 

I did enjoy watching the previous "Godzilla vs. Kong." So much so that I completely forgot all the characters who return in this new movie. In my review of "Godzilla vs. Kong" which I wrote for a local paper, I called it a "fight worth waiting for." 

This new movie takes place three years after the events of the previous movie. 

Kong has established himself quite comfortably in Hollow Earth, which is where scientists put Kong in the last movie. But even giant apes get lonely, especially when there's a lack of a female presence. 

Up on the Earth's surface, Godzilla is still boss keeping an eye on humanity, and making sure no new titans are coming around to cause trouble. 

After defeating Scylla in Rome back in the first movie, Godzilla has turned the Coliseum in Rome into his own personal bunk bed. 

Observers at Monarch, the organization that kept Kong in the last movie, are keeping an eye on him. They realize they have to bring Kong up to the surface of Earth because he has an infected tooth. Thankfully, Monarch has a dentist on hand who specializes in big gorillas. Trapper (Dan Stevens) manages to sedate Kong, pull out his infected tooth, and replace it with an artificial one. 

They've also picked up an unusual signal from Hollow Earth. 

Up on Earth, Jia (Kaylee Hottle) the last survivor of the Iwi tribe from Skull Island, is also mentally picking up on this signal. It's causing her to have hallucinations.
Her adopted mother, Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) is concerned, naturally. 

And guess who else is catching this signal. Godzilla! 

This leads him to go attack a nuclear power plant over in France and absorb all the nuclear energy in preparation for an upcoming fight. 

I had no idea why he took any interest in everything that comes next, but my guess is he's protecting humanity from any threat brought about by another titan or titans. 

From there, Godzilla makes a B-line for the secret lair of Tiamat, another monster titan, up in the Arctic. 

These two monsters fight with Godzilla winning effortlessly of course. He steals Tiamat's radiation supply which continues to give him a generous surplus of power.  

The brainiacs at Monarch think Godzilla is preparing as much as he can for a major fight. 

Kong, meanwhile, finds a sinkhole which takes him to an unchartered portion of Hollow Earth where other giant apes have survived. 

A little giant ape named Suko finds Kong and alerts other giant apes. These apes don't take kindly to him. 

After Kong beats up the other apes, he forces Suko to take him to the whereabouts of more giant apes. 

Suko takes Kong to a secret liar were other apes serve a tyrant leader known as Skar King. 

He sees Kong as a threat and fights him with a crystal that controls an ice breathing monster lizard called Shimo. 

As Kong and Shimo duke it out, Shimo gives Kong frost bite on his arm after breathing on it. 

Ilene Andrews gets the help of podcaster and conspiracy theorist, Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry) because he was in the last movie and has to be in this movie, too. 

Together with Kong's dentist, they all travel into Hollow Earth. Down there, they discover hieroglyphics telling the tale of how Skar King once attempted to ascend to our part of the Earth, conquer it, and battle Godzilla and his species. Godzilla defeated him and kicked him back to Hollow Earth. 

These carvings also indicate how Jia and the Iwi tribe will one day awaken Mothra. So, there's that exposition of what's to come later in the movie. 

The explorers find members of the lost Iwi tribe who help Jia awaken Mothra. 

Kong manages to ascend back to the Earth's surface, emerging in Cairo, Egypt. He calls out for Godzilla for help, but Godzilla is anything but thrilled to see him. He attacks Kong despite Kong's efforts to talk and explain the situation. I mean, that's basically what happens. 

Thankfully, Jia and Mothra arrive and manage to explain things to Godzilla who relents and agrees to help Kong in his own Godzilla way. 

They all head back to Hollow Earth to take on Skar King and Shimo. The name 'Shimo' sounds like one of the three stooges, or the 6th Marx Brother. 

Anyways, they all fight down there and eventually drag their fight to Rio De Janeiro. This is Skar King's chance to conquer the Earth and take down Godzilla and Kong.

Unlike the previous movie, Godzilla and King Kong don't really fight each other. They do have a little scuffle in the middle of Cairo. Otherwise, it's all about getting Godzilla on board to fight a battle for a purpose which he has absolutely no role in or use for. Still, he's completely gung-ho for this fight on Kong's behalf.

Mothra's presence is a welcomed plot point for me. Her presence gives the movie that giant monsters all-out attack atmosphere. It's giant ape and lizard against...another giant ape and lizard. 

With all this check-your-brain-at-the-door cheesiness, the movie still manages to have all the Godzilla movie feels. For instance, the dentist/ scientist just happens to have an artificial giant ape tooth on hand once he extracts Kong's bum tooth. 

Later, when Kong's arm is frostbitten, the scientists happen to have a left-over robotic exoskeleton arm brace that just happens to be there in Hollow Earth right when it's needed. And it happens to have all the green glowing stuff necessary to heal Kong's arm. 

Again, check your brain at the door. 

It's the monsters versus monsters, and the Godzilla movie feels I enjoyed the most. That's what audiences want in a Godzilla movie. So, it had what I came for which is always worth the price of a matinee ticket and bucket of popcorn. 

Some Godzilla films have the King of the Monsters being the good guy. Others have him as a bad guy. He's a good guy in this one. 

After recently watching "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" which has a scene where a beach freezes over, I was treated yet again to another scene of a beach freezing over in "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire." Purely coincidental, I think. 

Otherwise, the characters and story in "Godzilla x Kong" are forgettable. And the primitive giant apes carry one with a sudden intellect that wasn't there before is lame. It's all about those monster feels, and not much more. 

After watching this movie, I am all the more anxious to see "Godzilla Minus One."

We've come a long way since the first fight back in '62...

187) House of Usher (1960)

"For hundreds of years, foul thoughts and deeds have been committed within these halls."

Director

Roger Corman

Cast

Vincent Price - Roderick Usher

Mark Damon - Philip Winthrop

Myrna Fahey - Madeline Usher

Harry Ellerbe - Bristol

Roger Corman, "The King of the Cult Film" and "The Pope of Pop Cinema," has a string of period movies based on the macabre works of Edgar Allen Poe.

The first is "House of Usher" (1960) based on Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher." It's followed by "The Pit and the Pendulum" (1961), "Premature Burial" (1962), "Tales of Terror" (1962), "The Raven" (1963), "The Haunted Palace" (1963), "Masque of the Red Death" (1964), and "The Tomb of Ligeia" (1964). All of these films except "Premature Burial" stars horror icon Vincent Price. 

It's worth mentioning that there's a few odd balls in this mix. To begin with "The Haunted Palace" is actually based on H.P. Lovecraft's novella, "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward." The title belongs to Poe. 

The 1968 British horror film, "The Witchfinder General," directed by Michael Reeves and starring Vincent Price, is based on Ronald Bassett's 1966 novel. When it was released in the U.S. by American International Pictures, it was retitled "The Conqueror Worm" in order to connect it to Corman's Poe films. 

Also, Corman's 1963 movie "The Terror" staring Boris Karloff and a very young Jack Nicholson tends to be linked to his Poe films though it's not based on anything Poe has written. Corman himself explains the reason why this is so. In his memoirs, he says, "I was getting so familiar with the standard elements of Poe's material – or at least our adaptations – that I tried to out-Poe himself and create a Gothic tale from scratch." (Corman, 88). 

So, now I'm on another cinematic horror mission like my watching all the "Psycho" movies. I want to get through all these Poe films in chronological order. The challenge is finding them all. I've had them on my radar for a few years. And I happened to find a copy of "House of Usher" at the library. I'll likely include the oddball films as well because, why not. When I go for something, I want to go all in.

In this movie, Mark Damon plays Philip Winthrop who arrives unannounced to the isolated Usher mansion. He's there to visit his fiancé Madeline (Myrna Fahey). But her disappointed older brother Roderick (Vincent Price) doesn't great him very warmly. In fact, he doesn't want Philip there at all and would prefer he leave Madeline altogether. 

Vincent Price and Myrna Fahey in "House of Usher."

"For hundreds of years, foul thoughts and deeds have been committed within these halls," he tells Philip.

So, naturally Philip and Roderick take a disliking to each other. 

Philip's efforts are focused on trying to take Madeline away from the dreary and foreboding walls of the House of Usher. 

Despite Roderick's protests against the two marrying, Philip intends to marry her despite him. 

Roderick tries to convince Philip that he and Madeline both suffer from an inherited madness that's unique to the Usher lineage. As Madeline is very sick, he tells Philip she doesn't have long to live. But Philip refuses to leave and call off his engagement.

Strange noises echo throughout the halls at odd hours. 

Philip turns to the butler, Bristol (Harry Ellerbe), about these noises. He tells Philip that they're the result of a fissure that has existed in walls for decades. 

As the days carry on, and Philip refuses to leave, strange "accidents" begin occurring around him. He's almost killed as a result of some of these strange accidents. 

One of these accidents happen when Madeline is showing him the family crypt underneath the mansion. 

He's almost hit by a flying coffin, which causes Madeline to faint. 

Later, Philip goes to check on Madeline who has been resting in her room after fainting, and finds her sprawled across the bed, seemingly dead of a heart attack.

Roderick quickly has her placed in a coffin to be buried in a plot reserved for her in the family crypt. He wants her to be immediately buried. 

The following morning, Bristol tells Philip that Madeline used to have cataleptic fits. This means she's buried alive. He goes straight to Roderick about. And he admits to it. 

Roderick claims he allowed her to be buried out of love of his sister, and to ensure the tainted Usher blood won't spread to future generations. When he tries to go save her, Roderick assures him that by this time, she's surely dead. 

That night, Philip sneaks to the crypt only to find a trail of blood along the floor leading to a hidden passage. 

Madeline somehow managed to break out of her coffin and escape to somewhere inside the house. 

When Philip finds her, she has gone insane and attacks him. 

He gets the upper hand and tries to shake her back to some level of sanity. 

But she runs off to find her brother. 

Myrna Fahey and Mark Damon.

A violent storm erupts outside, causing the fissures to start splitting the house. 

Philip watches in helpless horror as Madeline attacks Roderick while the house crumbles to pieces. There's nothing Philip can do but watch as beams fall and kill Roderick and Madeline instantly.

Bristol finds Philip and drags him to safety outside before running back into the house which has now caught fire. 

Within minutes, the house burns and sinks into the ground until it's no more. 

Poe has some sort of interest in premature burial. His other stories "Premature Burial," "Berenice," "Black Cat," and "The Cask of Amontillado" have situations in which someone is buried alive. 

In this movie, the audience witnesses the scenario of being buried alive affect those around the victim. 

Everything from the atmosphere, mood, artwork, music direction and acting, especially from Price, fit so well together in this spectacle of a horror film. 

I don't like to quote other critics often, but "Variety" stated it best at the time when it wrote, "In having taken several liberties with the original, the release may aggravate Poe purists and scholars, but the shrewd alterations, since they pursue a romantic course, should prove popular with the bulk of modern audiences. It is a film that should attract mature tastes as well as those who come to cinema for sheer thrills." 

I have a soft spot for period horror pieces like "House of Usher." 

As Corman is known for producing low-budget movies, "House of Usher" doesn't feel like a low-budget picture. It's quite a spectacle despite having a small handful of performers, one being the legendary Vincent Price. 

In fact, it has a solid script, great performances from respectable actors, and a shooting schedule that took several weeks. 

This is such a lavish and well assembled movie. It reminds me a bit of the Hammer Horror productions such as the 1958 film "Dracula" starring Christopher Lee. 

Corman keeps the film truly rich and ornate yet simple with just four actors in the cast. Though he's resourceful, Corman takes everything he can get out of what he has. Every last little drop! 

And Vincent Price, as always, gives everything in his masterful performance. Price never seems to hold back in his films. "House of Usher" is certainly no exception. I love watching him as he delivers each line so meticulously and carefully, ensuring that his deliverance properly fits and supports the scene and the mood. 

Corman's film maintains a steady pace that doesn't drag nor speed up. There's no dull moment. 

It grows more and more suspenseful as trepidation slowly climbs until the final act. I honestly can't wait to get to the rest of Corman's Poe films. 

Death and despair fill the house. Only that which has life and hope can escape it. I can't say how close or loose the movie is compared with Poe's story. But the themes of family, madness, and isolation are certainly well maintained.

There's good reason why this movie was listed on the U.S. National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." 

186) Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) - NEW TO HORROR

"Golden years!"

Director

Gil Kenan

Cast
Paul Rudd - Gary Grooberson
Carrie Coon - Callie Spengler
Finn Wolfhard - Trevor Spengler
Mckenna Grace - Phoebe Spengler
Kumail Nanjiani - Nadeem Razmaadi
Patton Oswalt - Dr. Hubert Wartzki
Celeste O'Connor - Lucky Domingo
Logan Kim - Podcast
Emily Alyn Lind - Melody
James Acaster - Dr. Lars Pinfield
Bill Murray - Dr. Peter Venkman
Dan Aykroyd - Dr. Ray Stantz
Ernie Hudson - Winston Zeddemore
Annie Potts - Janine Melnitz
William Atherton - Walter Peck

👻  Minor spoilers ahead!  👻

In my other blog, dontfastforward.blogspot.com, I occasionally post commentary I call "My thoughts real quick."

In these posts, I simply slap my thoughts down about movies without going into much detail about the story. I try to keep them short, but I don't always succeed. 

This post is going to be something like that. These are my quick thoughts about the newly released "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire."

It's the fourth movie in the Ghostbusters line-up. I admit that I'm a little biased since I consider myself a "Ghost-head." Even so, I have mixed feelings about this new movie.

The story pulled me in right from the beginning with the introductory back story.  

I initially anticipated a ton of call-backs and cameos. There was a little of that, but not as many as I thought there'd be. There was a lot of nods to the first and second Ghostbusters movies scattered throughout. 

The cameos are scarce outside of the original Ghostbusters along with William Atherton as Walter Peck as seen in the trailer. I had a few characters from parts one and two I was hoping to see, but maybe that's for the better. The movie doesn't then rely too much on stuff from the first two movies. It's an original story with new characters making the picture not heavily dependent on the original film.  

The story feels like an episode from "The Real Ghostbusters" cartoon and does carry a bit of the original movie's feel. The entire flow of the story seemed like something I would have seen in the animated series.

While the film is entertaining, it's full of plot points that take up too much space. I wanted to see more ghost busting, especially from the original crew.  

There's some busting, but not much. Instead, there's a lot more talking, explaining, and jumping between plot points.

The final climax is where the movie delivers the most.  

Some of the characters are rather useless, especially Finn Wolfhard's character, Trevor. But at least his character makes sense. He's a Spengler so obviously he'd be in New York City with his family. 

Celeste O'Connor's character, Lucky, is completely useless. She's Trevor's love interest in the previous movie, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife." In this movie, whatever purpose she has is completely forced. She's just there because she was in the last movie, and adds nothing at all to the movie save for filling in one extra ghostbuster jumpsuit. 

The same is goes for Logan Kim's character, Podcast. He does add a little comic relief, but he wouldn't be missed if he wasn't a part of this. 

Kumail Nanjiani's character and purpose, Nadeem Razmaadi, is clearly a play on the Gatekeeper and Keymaster from the original movie and repeated in "Ghostbusters: Afterlife." In this case, it's flipped around. He's meant to conquer the evil rather than channel it into our world. Nanjiani's comedy would fit in well as a Ghostbuster alongside Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, and Dan Aykroyd. 

He has just enough chemistry with the original Ghostbusters, especially with Bill Murray who reprises his role as Peter Venkman. Nanjiani and Dan Aykroyd (Ray Stantz) seem to be having the most fun in their roles. Everyone else for the most part seem to be acting on repeat. In other words, much of the cast could use a little more enthusiasm. 

Still, I suppose after playing the same role for the fourth time, that enthusiasm tends to fade. 

William Atherton returns as Walter Peck from the original, though now in a new political capacity. His concerns about 15-year-old Phoebe carrying a proton pack and catching ghosts are legit, but his animosity towards the Ghostbusters now seems unwarranted. It's as though he still holds a grudge because of how he was treated nearly 40 years ago. With the events of "Ghostbusters" and "Ghostbusters 2" referenced in this new movie, it doesn't make sense that he still thinks they're frauds. But he's an antagonist and those antagonists just keep on antagonizing.

What makes the original "Ghostbusters" movie a brilliant comedy is that the four scientists who go into business for themselves as paranormal eliminators really have no idea what they're doing. It's like a Marx Brothers movie. And, yet they figure out how to save New York City in such an outlandish way. 

The same is pretty much true here, but to a lesser degree. In this story, Winston (Ernie Hudson) as established a paranormal research center with a bigger containment unit, testing area, and the ability to observe and study ghosts. 

They can also extract paranormal entities from possessed objects. When they're up against an evil godlike entity named Garakka who's turning New York City into a frozen hellscape, all the cast (the new and the old ghostbusters) aren't sure what to do outside of shooting their proton packs at it. It's Phoebe Spengler, played wonderfully yet again by McKenna Grace, who has the tools and the talent.

I appreciate how the final act isn't long winded. Garakka doesn't show up and freeze over New York until more than half way through the movie. Then again, Gozer didn't show up in the original movie until the final act. Like the first movie, all the events buildup to the coming of Gozer.

The setup and resolution is styled really similar to the original "Ghostbusters." And it works the second time around. Instead of "Spook Central" being the conduit or portal, it's a brass orb with Garakka trapped inside. And the "Fire Master," as it's referred to in the movie, is the good guy who fights the icy monster. In that regard, this movie has the feel of a Ghostbusters movie. Or, it's just retooling those old elements that worked the first time, and hoping they can still deliver to new audiences under a different look.   

I thought the movie would start preaching about climate change and all that. Thankfully, it didn't go anywhere near that topic. I also hoped it would be a family-friendly flick, which it is. 

While "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" is a tool to set the Ghostbusters back up with new content, characters, and adventures, "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" comes up with something new. 

"Afterlife" takes its time setting up a scenario and placing its elements where they need to be, "Frozen Empire" is constantly on the move with all its various subplots to keep the audience engaged despite the exposition.  

I got some much-needed laughs from the movie and walked out of the theater happy overall. Again, maybe I'm a little biased.

The movie doesn't overstay its welcome. It feels like it plays out in right amount of time. 

I think "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" deserves another view. But, as much as it pains me to say, I think it's time for the original Ghostbusters to retire. Their best days are behind them. If any new movies come about in the future, the business needs to be completely handed over to a new crew. 

185) Thanksgiving (2023)

"There will be no leftovers this year."

Director

Eli Roth 

Cast
Patrick Dempsey - Sheriff Eric Newlon
Nell Verlaque - Jessica
Addison Rae - Gaby
Jalen Thomas Brooks - Bobby
Milo Manheim - Ryan
Tomaso Sanelli - Evan
Gabriel Davenport - Scuba
Jenna Warren - Yulia
Ty Victor Olsson - Mitch Collins
Rick Hoffman - Thomas Wright
Gina Gershon - Amanda Collins

I don't know if it's me, or if there has recently been a kind of campy holiday horror movie Renaissance. By holiday, I mean all holidays. 

Titles like "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey," and "The Mean One" (a horror take on "How the Grinch Stole Christmas") have come out recently. There's has been recent talk of a horror movie called, "Mickey's Mouse Trap" now that early Mickey Mouse cartoons have become public domain. 

The 2024 turkey day horror movie, "Thanksgiving" can be counted among recent cheesy flicks. 

I can't talk about "Thanksgiving" without tossing out references to older horror movies centered around common holidays. Christmas, for instance, is constantly the theme to so many horror movies such as "Black Christmas" (1974), "Silent Night, Deadly Night" (1984), "Better Watch Out" (2017), and one of my personal favorites, "Violent Night" (2022). It's a holiday that always seems to be in need of saving. 

Christmas isn't the only victim of bad horror movies. There are so many others themed on random holidays like "New Year's Evil" 1980), "Terror Train" (1980), "April Fool's Day" (1986), "Trick or Treats" (1982), "Bloody Birthday" (1981), "Uncle Sam" (1996), "Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill!" (2006) …the list is enormous. And let's not forget all the "Leprechaun" movies since we just celebrated St. Patrick's Day. Yeah, I covered all those already. On second thought, let's definitely forget those. 

"Thanksgiving" is a movie where customs and tradition goes head-to-head greed in the form of modern consumerism. 

It's Thanksgiving in the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts. A raging, vulgar, greedy mob has gathered outside of the town's RightMart for Black Friday sales. 

Jessica Wright's (Nell Verlaque) dad, Thomas (Rick Hoffman) is the owner of RightMart. And he lets her, along with her friends, inside the store through a side door before the crowd is let in. This makes the crowd rage even more.

When the doors finally open, the fuming crowd push their way in causing multiple injuries, and the deaths of a few people. Amanda Collins (Gina Gershon),
the wife of RightMart's store manager, Mitch (Ty Victor Olsson) is one of the victims of the ruthless shoppers. 

The majority of the crowd only care about getting their discounted items before someone else. Plymouth is now tarnished by this event. 

One year later, Thomas is going to open RightMart on Thanksgiving Day for Black Friday, which sparks protests because of what happened the year before. Mitch is one of those protesting.
Jessica's old boyfriend, Bobby (Jalen Thomas Brooks), returns to Plymouth which arouses some jealousy with her current boyfriend, Ryan (Milo Manheim).

Meanwhile, Lizzie, who was in that RightMart crowd the year before, and as vulgar and unruly as ever, is working as a waitress in a diner. 

As she closes for the night, an anonymous figure wearing a mask of John Carver (one of the founders of the Plymouth colony) murders her. 

Soon after, other people around Plymouth who were involved in the Black Friday riot are killed off one by one. 
Sheriff Eric Newlon (Patrick Dempsey) is putting in as much effort and manpower as he can to catch this killer who's targeting everyone involved in that Black Friday riot. 

Jessica helps as much as she can to bring this killer down. Soon, the murderer goes after those closest to her. 

The movie is full of gore and splatter, and corny one-liners such as "If we let the police handle it, we're all going to end up 50% off." And that's followed by more blood and guts! 

By the end, well... I should have seen the end coming. 

In one scene, Sheriff Newlon tells Jessica, "Be careful who you trust, because this is a matter of life and death." What a giveaway! And it went right over my head. 

The movie is pretty much formulaic. There's a sadistic masked killer out for revenge. And it's a race against the clock for police to catch him before he strikes again. 

Still, it's entertaining enough for being a good ol' fashioned slasher flick. 

Director Eli Roth has directed some popular horror titles like "Hostel," "Hostel: Part II" and "Cabin Fever." He does a decent job with "Thanksgiving." It's clear Roth is a horror fan! He knows how to make an audience cringe and cover their eyes. His talent for making gritty Friday night, creature feature horror movies is ever present in "Thanksgiving." It's a fun and unique Thanksgiving Day horror feast.

184) Ghostbusters II (1989)

"Only a Carpathian would come back to life now and choose New York! Tasty pick, bonehead!"

Director

Ivan Reitman

Cast
Bill Murray - Peter Venkman
Dan Aykroyd - Raymond Stantz
Ernie Hudson - Winston Zeddemore
Harold Ramis - Egon Spengler
Sigourney Weaver - Dana Barrett
Rick Moranis - Louis Tully
Annie Potts - Janine Melnitz
Peter MacNicol - Janosz Poha
Wilhelm von Homburg - Vigo the Carpathian
Max von Sydow - Voice of Vigo
Kurt Fuller - Jack Hardemeyer
David Margulies - Mayor Lenny Clotch

For readers honored, blessed and privileged to personally know me, they must be saying to themselves "Of course Mike would review 'Ghostbusters'." Well, I waited five years since starting this blog to finally include a Ghostbusters movie on this platform. With a fourth Ghostbusters movie just around the corner (who would've thought?) I wanted to make some comments about the second movie in the Ghostbusters line-up. 

By the way, I shared my comments on the teaser trailer for the upcoming movie "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire." And you can read my review for the last Ghostbusters movie, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," on the Junction City Union website. 

As I write this, two full trailers for the upcoming movie were released today - one domestic and one international. 

While I'm excited to see where things go in the upcoming Ghostbusters movie, my initial impression is that it seems like "Frozen Empire" will be another movie sequel that relies too heavily on call-backs to part one and maybe part two. 

Based on these two trailers, while it looks like it might be a fun movie, I get an impression that the comedy won't be terribly strong. I got a laugh at one or two lines in the trailer.  

Plus, the upcoming movie has a ton of characters to keep on top of. There's the OG Ghostbusters, some new supporting cast, and the cast from "Ghostbusters: Afterlife." 

Anyways, there have been few movies released in my lifetime where I was so eager to see them, I actually had dreams about it prior to seeing.  

"Ghostbusters 2" was one of those movies. "It: Chapter Two" was another. And, for some weird reason, "The NeverEnding Story II" was another such movie. We'll talk about that another time. 

My friends know that when it comes to the 1984 comedy, "Ghostbusters," I am a self-proclaimed "Ghost-Head." I have some nostalgic investment for the movie. 

Few movies have I seen more.

As a kid, I remember the dreadful anticipation I had when the library ghost scene approached. It took a generous portion of courage to sit through that scene. Otherwise, I would run out of the room and hide, listening for it to finish. 

Anyways, when trailers for "Ghostbusters II" were released back in '89, my seven-year-old self was bursting with anticipation. 

Of course, I loved the sequel back then. The Ghostbusters were back for something different, and I was completely on board.

Now, in my adult years, showing my own kids "Ghostbusters II," my thoughts are clearer on this sequel. 

No doubt, I'm not about to say anything that hasn't already been said. 

"Ghostbusters II" picks up five years after the Ghostbusters saved New York from an impending apocalypse that Gozer, a god of destruction, tried to unleash upon the world in part one. 

Now, despite being hailed and welcomed as heroes during the supernatural events of the first movie, the Ghostbusters have been dealing with lawsuits upon lawsuits for the destruction wrought upon New York. They've been forced out of business and are now looked down upon by the city they saved not that long ago. 

Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) make guest appearances at birthday parties. Stantz also owns an occult bookstore called "Ray's Occult." Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) works in a lab studying human emotions. And Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) hosts a local television show called "World of the Psychic." 

The film opens with Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) walking back to her apartment, pushing her baby, Oscar, in a carriage. 

She unwittingly rolls it over a small puddle of pink slime oozing from a crack in the sidewalk. That's probably not the worst thing to permeate out of a New York City sidewalk. 

Suddenly the carriage starts rolling away from her. It starts off slowly and then moves faster and faster away, while still carrying baby Oscar, as Dana chases it. It eventually stops suddenly in the middle of a busy New York City intersection. 

Dana reaches out to Ray and Egon, but not Peter after considering their relationship in part one, to investigate how the stroller seemed to roll itself at top speed right into the middle of city traffic. 

But Venkman catches wind that Ray and Egon are helping his old girlfriend and butts into their research.

The paranormal readings they take with their gadgetry at the spot where the carriage stopped are unusually high. So, Ray, Peter, and Egon take it upon themselves to start digging in the middle of the street to see what's hiding underneath. 

They discover a river of slime flowing under the streets along the route of an old, abandoned transit line. 

Of course, they're quickly arrested for this unauthorized digging but not before Ray, who's dangling by a wire underground, collects a sample of this slime. After the slime tries to pull him under, he accidentally causes a massive blackout across the entire city.  

During their court trial, in which this slime is presented as evidence, it becomes clear the mysterious viscous substance responds to human emotion. And when the judge explodes with anger at the Ghostbusters for the damage they've cause, the slime also as an explosive effect. It bubbles over until two ghosts emerge whom the judge recognizes as the Scoleri brothers - two murderers the judge sentenced to death by electrocution. 

The ghosts attack the courtroom until the Ghostbusters put their proton packs back on and save the day.... or save justice...or, I don't know. They catch the ghosts and that somehow brings them back to legitimacy throughout New York. 

They investigate the psycho-reactive slime (slime that reacts to human behavior) that has been collecting and pooling underneath the city. And it all happens to flow straight underneath the art museum where Dana works.

The art museum has a painting of a 16th-century European madman named Vigo the Carpathian which Dana swears has been coming to life. That's because it has been coming to life thanks to the slime underneath the museum. 

Vigo's spirit begins inhabiting the painting and takes possession of the museum's department head and Dana's boss, Janosz Poha (Peter MacNicol). Vigo demands Janosz to find him a baby that his soul can inhabit so he can live once again and rule the world. 

As Janosz has a crush on Dana, he chooses her baby as a vessel for Vigo's soul to inhabit and take over. The Ghostbusters of course aren't going to let that happen. 

Wilhelm von Homburg as Vigo the Carpathian.

Since the first "Ghostbusters" is a comedy best summarized as lighting in a bottle, part two really tries to recreate that, but doesn't quite accomplish what the first movie did. 

It's different but the same. 

While the story line and the final big bad ghost are different, the general plot is the same as the first. A supernatural source causes a buildup of supernatural phenomenon throughout New York enough to keep the Ghostbusters busy until in culminates to one ultimate spooky showdown with a big bad ghost who wants to rule the world.  

As the first film takes the center of the story to the top of a New York City high rise, the sequel takes the center under the streets of New York.  

As a comedy, the first movie is true lightning-in-a- bottle. Its premise is a classic comedy scenario involving four comedians trying to do something outlandish - capture ghosts. "Ghostbusters" sits proudly with other paranormal comedies like the Abbott and Costello film "Hold That Ghost" as well their "Meet the Monsters" movies. The 1940 horror comedy, "The Ghost Breakers" starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard deserves a nod here. By the way, Hope and Goddard previously appeared together in the 1939 horror comedy "The Cat and the Canary." 

"Ghostbusters II" manages to be liked by fans well enough, though its comedy tries hard to be the lightning -in-a-bottle comedy the first is. 

It doesn't quite work as well as before. But that's not to say the entire sequel is terrible. It has some hilarious moments and memorable scenes.  

My main complaint about the movie is where the story picks up after the events of part one and what's become of the Ghostbusters since. It doesn't make sense that after all the Ghostbusters did for New York City just five years earlier in front of multiple eyewitnesses, they'd be forgotten and despised as frauds. However, I can believe five years later they'd be dealing with lawsuits and court appearances for the destruction and everything that happened in part one. That's how the movie should have started -with the court scene that's already in the movie. And instead of being completely disbanded as Ghostbusters, their organization should still exist to some degree. Also, part two takes some inspiration from the animated cartoon "The Real Ghostbusters." It's clearly done just for marketing purposes. It's distracting and unnecessary. The cartoon is the cartoon. The movie is the movie. 

"Ghostbusters II" is entertaining enough but it needs some more solid thought behind it. It tries to be too much while not being enough. 

Trivia: 

In my "Psycho IV" post, I included the following trivia question:

"The Sixth Sense" (1999) is the second movie in which Bruce Willis is paired with a character named Cole who sees dead people. What is the other film? 

Answer: 12 Monkeys.