You may be asking yourself whey there was such a delay in
posting new reviews here at Digital Views. I can only apologize and let you
know the reason is the same that many have had for things over the last year:
Covid-19.
I try and stay home as much as possible but being involved
with a church program at Christmas time is something I’ve done for the past 8
years and this year was no different. The show was on December 3rd
with rehearsals the week prior. On December 5th I began feeling
sick. On December 8th I was tested. And on December 10th
my diagnosis came back positive for Covid. I had the two Pfizer vaccines and I’m
thankful I did since they say it lessens the symptoms. With my wife passing
earlier this year I face the issues alone.
It’s not something I would wish on anyone but I was fortunate.
I didn’t lose my senses of taste of smell but I did lose my appetite. I had
headaches off and on. The two worst symptoms bother me to this day 2 months
later: fatigue and labored breathing. After that I think I came down with a
normal cold a few weeks later.
So that’s why things are popping up late here. While there are
29 new reviews posted as of today there are plenty more on the way. I’m
planning on having a number of them posted by this coming Sunday. So stick with
us here at Digital Views. And leave a comment every now and then, they are
always appreciated. Coming up are reviews for CLOSE RANGE, SAVAGAE DOGS, RETRIBUTION, VERA CRUZ, THE EMPEROR'S SWORD, PHANTOM OF THE MALL, RAGING FIRE, FREUD, BEDTIME STORY, SHOCK, SURF NAZIS MUST DIE and THE SHERLOCK HOLMES VAULT COLLECTION.
My thanks to all the distributors and PR people who have been so understanding and helpful through this time. Each day I find something new has arrived it keeps me perked up and ready to tackle the next movie review. Thank all of you once again.
Stay healthy out there. Get the vaccine if you have no
issues not to. Mask up if for no other reason than to just staying clear of
arguments. And make sure you pay attention to your health. Thoughts and prayers
to all the readers of Digital Views.
In 1979 Orion was a film company making some decent films
ROBOCOP, ARTHUR, PLATOON, AMADEUS, HOOSIERS, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and DANCES
WITH WOLVES among them. Then problems kicked in, the studio had problems and
was eventually bought out by MGM. In 1986 a small low budget film was made by
the company that became a hit for them, enough so that there was not only a
sequel but a TV series that spun off from the film. That movie was F/X. That
film and the sequel are being released by Kino Lorber this week on Blu-ray.
F/X tells the story of special effects artist Rollie Tyler
(Bryan Brown) whose abilities we see demonstrated in the film’s opening
sequence, one where a gangster shows up and mows down a group of patrons in a
restaurant. On the set that night he is approached by a producer named Lipton
(Cliff De Young) who he agrees to meet with the following day.
Lipton turns out not to be a producer but a DOJ agent. The
DOJ wants to hire Rollie to fake the assassination of a top mafia witness named
Nicholas DeFranco (Jerry Orbach). Rollie finally agrees but things go wrong.
Lipton has changed out the blanks with real bullets and attempts to kill Rollie
who escapes.
He makes his way to his girlfriend’s apartment but then see
her killed by a sniper who comes to the apartment to make sure his work is
down. They fight and Rollie kills him before heading out to clear his name. The
detective assigned to the murder is Leo McCarthy (Brian Dennehy). McCarthy was
the man who brought in DeFranco. He wonders if there is a connection and being
following his lead, leads that will find their way into the DOJ.
The movie was great, offering plenty of action and more plot
than most low budget films are willing to spend time with. Brown, who at this
time was only known to US audience for his role in THE THORN BIRDS, does a
fantastic job as the everyman with a skill trying to clear his name, enough so
that he began to see better roles come his way. Dennehy had an up and down
career but this movie shows why he was so good at what he did on screen. But if
you’re going to make a movie about a special effects man and what he does the
effects had better be good. That they are with Carl Fullerton on makeup effects
and Connie Brink on special effects.
I won’t reveal the end of the first film but time does pass
between that and F/X 2. Six years in real time and it seems almost the same in
the film. Rollie has moved on from being in special effects and now owns a
company creating high end toys for sale. He’s living with his girlfriend Kim Brandon
(Rachel Ticotin) and her son Chris (Dominic Zamprogna). Rachel shares custody
with her ex-husband Mike (Tom Mason) who has to cancel his weekend due to work.
Mike is a detective with the NYPD. Working on a stalker case
with murderous intent, he asks Rollie to help him create the illusion that the
prey for this stalker is home when he will actually be in her apartment. Rollie
turns him down but then takes the case. With a camera hidden so he can see and
a fake fog induced bathroom Rollie watches as things go bad. Another killer is
in the apartment and he cuts Mike’s throat. Mike’s supervisor Ray Silak (Philp
Bosco) breaks in with his men and shoots the stalker. At the same time Rollie
chases the real killer but loses him in the street.
Returning home Rollie watches the footage again. As he
watches he sees Silak take the killer’s knife when the other officers go down
to wait for the coroner and dip it into Mike’s blood. Something is going on
involving corrupt officers and Silak is in on it. Toss in some long lost
medallions from the Vatican and heaps of money and you have a conspiracy. With
no one to turn to, especially the NYPD, Rollie turns to the only person he
trust to help him, Leo McCarthy.
The film is a fantastic sequel, not resting too much on the
previous film but moving the story of these two characters forward. Once more
each actor turns in a fantastic performance making both believable and
interesting. As viewer we care about what happens to each and by the end both
have reasons for this to be personal.
Kino Lorber is releasing the film on Blu-ray with no real
extras worth mentioning. It doesn’t matter. Both films look great and offer a
tremendous amount of entertainment value. While the two films may have been
forgotten by the masses this is a great opportunity to pick them up and enjoy
them all over again.
In 2016 a reboot of GHOSTBUSTERS was attempted, replacing
the entire cast with women. With the lineup they had it should have been funny.
It was anything but. Not only was it bad it was one of the worst
sequels/reboots ever made. Now we have GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE. After seeing
this I believe that all copies of the 2016 film should be burned. In every
possible format, burned. Forgotten. This is the movie that fans deserved.
Kicking off in Summerville, Oklahoma we see a solitary
figure fighting some evil force. It is captured in a Ghostbusters trap and
hidden after which the figure is killed. Moving to a different location we see
a woman with two children trying to cope with life. She inherits the old home
the solitary figure was in just as they are evicted from their apartment. Off
to Oklahoma they go.
A slight spoiler. Callie (Carrie Coon) is the daughter of
Egon Spengler. Her children are Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), a 15 year old boy
unhappy with the move and Phoebe (McKenna Grace), a hyper intelligent young
girl with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. They arrive in town and find
the home they were left, a dilapidated old house in the country surrounded by
fields and in terrible shape.
Going into town that night for something to eat they stop at
an old diner with roller skating carhops. One of them, Lucky (Celeste O’Connor)
catches Trevor’s eye and he applies for a job there while flirting with her.
Shot down he still sees a chance.
Back home Phoebe comes across a piece of equipment of
Egon’s, a P.K.E. Meter. She doesn’t know what it does yet but it starts itself
and leaves her to wonder. That night she puts the pieces of a chess board in
place before going to bed. When she wakes, one piece is moved.
At school Phoebe meets and makes a friend, a young geeky boy
named Podcast (Logan Kim), so named because he records everything for his
podcast that has one subscriber. She also finds herself in a summer school
class taught by Mr. Grooberson (Paul Rudd), a teacher who spends his time
putting in old horror films for the kids to watch while he investigates some
strange things happening in the area. Phoebe recognizes him as a seismologist
and begins helping him.
While helping him Phoebe pulls out the ghost trap she found
and Grooberson realizes what it is. She’d never heard about her grandfather’s
famous exploits and he shows them on YouTube. Curiosity gets the better of them
and they open the trap releasing whatever was contained inside. That ghost
heads for an old mining camp located in the mountain nearby.
Back home Trevor finds a dilapidated old car in the shed and
begins working to repair it and get it running. What he doesn’t realize is that
this is the Ecto-1, the car the original Ghostbusters drove. Once he gets it
running he takes it out only to find it may be more than he can handle at
first. He eventually picks up Phoebe and Podcast but not before the two of them
have found a ghost on the loose.
Trust me when I say all of this is doing nothing more than
setting the players in place for what is to come. Yes, Gozer is on the way back
along with her two giant monster dogs. But so much more will take place getting
that into position. The nostalgic feeling of this film is overpowering and
rather than being made in 2021 it feels like it was made in the eighties. Sure
we have kids involved now, the newest trope for a movie from Hollywood. But it
works here, better than most.
There is no single performance in this film that is not
perfect. The casting is amazing. The look of the film, setting the cast in a country
location rather than the streets of NYC works. The effects work here is amazing
matching things from the original film perfectly. This includes an appearance
by the Sta Puff Marshmallow man as you’ve never seen him. One more MAJOR
SPOILER ALERT: I knew this going in. There is a reunion and it will melt your
heart.
Fans of the original films will fall in love with this one.
There are two post credit sequences so don’t turn it off, let it run. And if
you don’t find yourself with a tear in your eye when this one is over I would
be surprised. This is the most fun I’ve had watching a movie in a long time.
Trust me, you and your family will as well.
Martial arts have been in movies for some time. You might
recall the karate chops in spy films, most notably James Bond in YOU ONLY LIVE
TWICE. But movies with a basis in martial arts were rarely found until 173 when
Bruce Lee came out with ENTER THE DRAGON. Sure his other films had been
released her as well as a few others. But this was the film that ignited a
craze that took over the world.
Following the release of that film more movies made their
way here and were successful and not just in the grindhouses of 42nd
Street in NYC. Across the country those older films found their way to
television. Saturday or Sunday afternoons found Black Belt Theater and Kung Fu
Theater programs airing the older films from China, more often than not poor
copies of them being used.
The biggest company behind most of those films was the Shaw
Brothers Studio. The studio had been releasing films since the early fifties.
Many were historical dramas and some of those involve intense action sequences
with martial arts and swordplay. But with the passing of Bruce Lee shortly
after ENTER THE DRAGON was released, their product attempted to fill the void
left by his death.
Many of the Show Brothers films have been released to disc
in the past but those were the washed out looking features we saw on TV. Now
all of this has changed and several companies are making up for it. Perhaps
most notably among them is Arrow Video with their new release SHAWSCOPE VOLUME
ONE. It might be a little pricey but if you are a fan of these films this will
be a must have for your collection.
This box set features 12 full length features from the Shaw
Brothers Studio. Each has been cleaned up and restored to the best quality you
will find. In addition to that they’re including a number of extras that make
this an amazing box set, one of the best released in the last few months.
The movies include KING BOXER aka FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH.
This was one of the first major Chinese films to make it big here in the states.
The story revolved around two rival martial arts schools vying for the
recognition of being the best there is and starred Lieh Lo, one of the major
stars of the genre. THE BOXER FROM SHANTUNG tells a different type of story as
a young man makes his way through Shanghai changing from good guy to bad and
then back again. FIVE SHOALIN MASTERS finds five Shaolin students escaping the
burning of their temple, the last of the Shaolin disciples with each mastering
their own special technique. This film featured two of the biggest stars in the
genre, Ti Lung and David Chiang.
If that film wasn’t enough it was followed by SHAOLIN
TEMPLE, also included in this box set. This one revolves around a Shaolin
temple that martial arts students are lining up to become trained at. But only
those who pass all tests are allowed to enter. Once more the temple is doomed
from inside as well as out. Ti Lung and David Chiang also star in this one
along with along with rising star Sheng Fu, who sadly passed away at age 28 in
a car crash.
As a change of pace there is MIGHTY PEKING MAN, perhaps the
weakest entry in the box set. This obvious take off on King Kong will inspire
more laughs than scares. Back to more martial arts. While most of the earlier
films were directed by the legendary Cheh Change, his stunt coordinator Lau
Kar-leung began directing as well and CHALENGE OF THE MASTERS and EXECUTIONERS
FROM SHAOLIN are included here. The first is based on real life martial arts
master and physician Wong Fei-hung. Many films have been based on this
character starring everyone from Jackie Chan to Jet Li.
Also included in the set are CHINATOWN KID, THE FIVE VENOMS
one of the most memorable films that fans adore, CRIPPLED AVENGERS, HEROES OF
THE EAST and DIRTY HO which features another of the more famous stars of the
genre Gordon Liu.
The films are beautiful to watch with stunning sets and
decorations, amazing martial arts and acrobatic skills and some of the best
fighting sequences ever filmed. You may remember these as those chop socky
action films you saw as a kid but watching them through adult eyes you can
appreciate the work that went into them and why there were so popular around
the world. With 2K masters from the original film negatives they have never
looked better. If you’re a fan then by all means pick this one up as soon as
possible. If not a fan find someone who is and give these a look. Some amazing
films are on display in this set. Chances are you be as anxious as I am for
volume two.
I was always a Charles Bronson fan. If he had a movie come
out, I wanted to see it. Lucky for me the local drive-in where I grew up seemed
to show them all. Now I think about it and realize that there is a whole
generation who most likely have no idea who he was. I find that sad. Hopefully
with his movies being released on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber that will change.
One of those, and one of my favorites, is MR. MAJESTYK.
MR. MAJESTYK was released in 1974. It was written by famed
action author Elmore Leonard whose books were often turned into films like GET
SHORTY, JACKIE BROWN and 3:10 TO YUMA among them. At the directed helm was
Richard Fleischer, known for directing films like 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA,
THE VIKINGS, FANTASTIC VOYAGE, THE NEW CENTURIONS and SOYLENT GREEN as well as
countless others. Combined with Bronson in one of his best roles and the movie
was a hit.
Bronson stars as Vince Majestyk, a simple watermelon farmer
just trying to earn a living from the land in Colorado. Vince is an ex-con,
former U.S. Army Ranger and Vietnam Vet and his current crop is needed to keep
his farm running. One morning he shows up to find his workers replaced by a
group of drunks hired by local hood Bobby Kopas (Paul Koslo). Bobby is running
a protection racket and makes the mistake of springing this one on Vince. Instead
Vince runs Bobby off with his own shotgun and brings in experienced Mexican
migrant workers led by union organizer Nancy Chavez (Linda Crystal).
Kopas files assault charges against Vince which lands him in
jail where he shares a cell with mob hitman Frank Renda (Al Lettieri). As the
two are being transferred via bus Renda’s men attempt and escape. Vince takes
control of the bus and heads to his cabin in the woods. Still handcuffed Renda
offers Vince $25,000 to turn him lose. Vince turns him down, intending to turn
him over to the police in return for his freedom so he can finish harvesting
his crop.
Both the police and Renda’s men are contacted to pick him up
but Renda eventually escapes. He learns that the charges against him have been
dropped and he’s free to go. His friend tells him that he should head out of
the US and just relax. But Renda has been angered and all that he worries about
is revenge on Vince. He brings in Kopas and tells him to drop the assault
charges. With Vince free he can go about taking him out.
One of the most famous scenes in the film is when Renda and
his men show up at Vince’s farm ready to kill him only to discover he’s in town.
They beat up his crew and take machine guns to the watermelons blowing them all
apart. This leads to the climax of the film, a battle between a man who just
wanted to harvest his watermelons and a ruthless killer seeking revenge.
The thing that makes this film work so well is that the
story is simple. There are no convoluted plot devices put in place here. It is
one man trying to do the right thing versus a killer who has no compunction
about killing another man for the most minor of slights. Today there would be
all sorts of subplots to complicate things rather than sticking to a simple
story.
Bronson is on top of his game here. This is the type of role
that made him a much sought after action star. No ranting and raving, just a
subtle touch of annoyance in the character. And he has the skills to back up
his beliefs and uses them to full advantage when his patience finally breaks.
Lettieri always played mob connected characters and he plays this one to the
hilt. Crystal come through as a caring character ready to help Bronson who
treats her friends right.
The movie was a box office success and was followed by
Bronson’s breakout role in DEATH WISH. It remains a favorite among fans and
once you see it you can understand why. For me this was one I wanted in my
collection and I’m happy that Kino Lorber has made that happen. If you love
Bronson or just a solid action film you need to add it to your collection as
well.
Kino Lorber is releasing a number of classic Charles Bronson
films and I for one am excited. Some of these have only been released by
boutique labels that were charging and arm and a leg for them before removing
them from the market completely. Now fans of Bronson, myself among them, can
watch them over and over again and can afford to add them to our collection.
Like BREAKHEART PASS.
BREAKHEART PASS was a box office failure but it wasn’t
because of the content of the film or those behind it. It was based on a novel
by Alistair MacLean who had written the novels THE GUNS OF NAVARONE, ICE
STATION ZEBRA and WHERE EAGLES DARE, all of which had been turned into
successful films. Director Tom Gries after a long time run directing TV series
had done WILL PENNY, 100 RIFLES and before this film the successful Bronson
picture BREAKOUT. For some reason though fans didn’t flock to this film and it
was their loss.
But all isn’t as it appears. As the soldiers on the train
begin missing or are found killed some of the truth comes out. Deakin’s is
actually a U.S. Secret Service agent. And instead of medical supplies the train
is carrying weapons intended for a notorious outlaw who sells them to the
Indians in return for them allowing to mine on their land. But for this to have
taken place someone had to have been in on the conspiracy and switched out the
supplies. But who among them is the one responsible?
What makes this movie so enjoyable is that it combines the
western with the classic mystery format and combines the two into an incredibly
entertaining movies. You’re never quite sure who the good guy is and who is
bad. Even the small spoiler I mentioned about Bronson is held back for a while.
Some will figure it out, those die-hard mystery fans. But for most this will be
an interesting movie that leaves a lot to be deciphered.
By the time this movie was made Bronson was starring in most
of his films with his real life wife Ireland. The two of them not only had good
chemistry off screen but on as well. All of the movies they did together turned
out to be solid films and this one is no exception. There is also a touch of
joy to think that by making these movies together they were able to spend time
together, time that was cut short by Ireland’s from cancer in 1990 at the age
of only 54.
While the movie didn’t do well when released fans still find
this film to be yet another great example of why Bronson was such a great movie
star. So often critics will slam an actor for not taking chances. Here Bronson
stepped away from the shoot ‘em first type action hero for something else. But the
critics still didn’t give him the credit he was due. When you look at the
career of Bronson you discover that he was indeed a solid actor. Check out his
roles in films like MASTER OF THE WORLD, THE DIRTY DOZEN or ONCE UPON A TIME IN
THE WEST and you’ll see a craftsman at work.
For now take it upon yourself to pick up any and all of the
Bronson titles being released by Kino Lorber. The quality of the prints they
are releasing is top notch and they deserve credit for that. If for no other
reason the fact that you can now own these movies in such a great format means
you should be adding them to your collection now.
Kino Lorber continues their releasing of a number of Charles
Bronson films with CHATO’S LAND. This film was the movie that began to see
Bronson begin to become a leading man and box office draw. It was also the
first he had done with director Michael Winner. The two would continue to
collaborate with THE MECHANIC, THE STONE KILLER and DEATH WISH 1-3.
CHATO’S LAND kicks off with a bang, literally. Bronson stars
as Pardon Chato, a half Apache man who enters the saloon as the film begins. A
racist sheriff tells him to leave and Chato shoots him in self-defense, walking
out of the saloon and leaving town after he finishes his drink.
It isn’t long before word spreads through town with the
story changing to claim Chato shot the sheriff just to kill him. The first
person sought out to rectify this wrong is Captain Quincy Whitmore (Jack
Palance), and ex-Confederacy officer and well respected member of the
community. Donning his uniform he begins rounding up a posse to go after Chato.
Among the rag tag group in the posse are good and bad men. The worst of the
bunch are the Hooker brothers: Jubal (Simon Oakland), Elias (Ralph Waite) and
Earl (Richard Jordan).
The posse hits the trail in search of Chato even though he
has an hour or so lead on them. He stays one step ahead of them throughout the
film. During the first evening when they camp, he sneaks in and scatters their
horses. He leads them one direction while traveling another. All of this frays
on the nerves of those who think they are the ones stalking him.
With enough lead on the posse Chato stops to see his wife
and son. He does things that need done there in their small home and then heads
out once more. The posse come upon his home and their bad side comes out.
Elias, Earl and two other members of the posse rape Chato’s wife and then tie
her up outside the home they shared using her as bait to capture Chato. But he
creates a distraction and rescues his wife instead.
Chato sets traps for the men and one by one they are finding
themselves in more danger than they bargained for. But for some of them this is
a matter of price now. It is also their deep rooted hatred of the Indian that
some feel they are justified in doing whatever they want. From here forward the
movie becomes less about the pursuit of Chato and more about the men who are
chasing him. Egos are frayed as are the patience of each man. More arguments
than agreements take place between them. Threats are tossed back and forth and
some are carried out. And in the end each of them poses as much a threat to the
other as does Chato.
Bronson plays this role with little to no dialogue. Chato is
a presence as well as an individual. To the posse represents all that they hate
about the west. His ability to work with the world around him infuriates these
men who have come to tame that same country with little success. For the
viewers he is an innocent man driven to revenge the brutality directed towards
him for no reason other than being who he is.
When made in 1972 there were numerous revisionist westerns
being made, films that portrayed the Indian as a noble group and white men as
the most vile of invaders as could be imagined. The reality is more likely that
both sides were well represented in those days with good and bad on both sides.
But this is storytelling and it needs a protagonist. With the decades of
Indians being put down by the white man it was a time when things were changing
on film and this was only a natural progression of things.
There isn’t a bad performance at all in this film. Each
actor on screen brings something to the character they are playing. Palance is
a bit different here than usual, a man with a past and a conscience. Bronson is
stoic and determined. Oakes, Waite and Jordan are despicable.
Winner does a great job of capturing a more realistic old
west than most. It looks dirty and dusty and little else. The land is hot and
dry, the sun a demon in the sky bringing nothing but heat and bad weather for
farming. You can feel it in every pore of your being while watching. He also
handles his cast well, bringing out solid performances.
Bronson fans will want this version of the film in their
collection. Kino Lorber is releasing it on Blu-ray and it’s never looked
better. Add this one to your collection today.
Back when HBO was new for most I was watching one night when
a movie came on I’d heard of but never seen. I decided to give it a watch and
was glad I did after. I found the movie thought provoking and hilarious. After
that I never saw the movie again though I remembered it. If it was released on
VHS I never saw it though it looks like Sony released it in 1994. So when I saw
Kino Lorber was releasing it to disc I was excited to see it once more.
Released in 1974 the film takes place in New York City, a
time when developers were tearing down parts of the city that had crumbled with
no one taking care of the buildings and replacing them with high rise apartment
complexes and buildings. Many didn’t want to move but had no choice when the
city would condemn their buildings or the owners would sell for top dollar.
HOMEBODIES is set during this time.
An old building houses a number of elderly people who love
their home. But a developer has been buying the houses up and down the street
intending to demolish them and rebuild a new set of more expensive apartments
there. One of the tenants, Mattie (Paula Trueman) decides that maybe she should
take matters into her own hands. She sabotages the worksite where the first
buildings are going up, resulting in the deaths of some of the workers there
which stops the building from going up. But this can’t go on forever.
A welfare worker continues to inform the tenants that they
must move and if they don’t do so on their own they will be forcibly removed.
Making a visit to ensure that they obey, she is stabbed by one of the tenants.
As they all stand around her watching her die, they have to decide what to do
next. They decide to hide her death and load her into her car which Mattie will
dispose of. Except Mattie doesn’t know how to drive which leads to a slapstick
style moment as she makes her way to dispose of the car and body.
This continues as the group of tenants are now bound to one
another keeping the secret and making sure no one finds out. But one among them
is troubled by this and it remains to be seen what the rest will do about her
sense of decency. In the meantime they continue to refuse to move while at the
same time trying to figure out just what to do. Will they relocate? Or will
they just continue to deal with those trying to force them to move? And if so
how high will the body count go before someone notices?
The movie works on so many different levels and is both
funny, touching and troubling at the same time. The humor here is definitely
dark and involves a number of aging character actors at the time who were quite
recognizable which made the film work. It was touching in that these characters
cared so much about one another, knew everything about and were willing to
stick by one another. And it was troubling because all of us reach that age at
some point and you begin to wonder, how will I be treated when I find myself in
this stage of life?
When the final credits roll on this film you find yourself
thinking about what you’ve just watched. You chuckle at those funny moments and
the characters and their behaviors. At the same time you begin to think about
your treatment of the elderly in your life. And as I said, you wonder how you
will be treated. The movie sticks with you long after watching it.
I whole heartedly encourage you to seek this one out. It
will take your emotions from one extreme to the other. You will laugh, you will
worry about the characters and you may cry a little. And hopefully you’ll walk
away thinking a little bit about how to treat those older people in your life.
I grew up with the Addams Family. Not just the TV series
starring John Astin and Carolyn Jones but the actual cartoons that appeared in
The New Yorker magazine starting in 1938 that were later collected into book
format. I had one of those paperbacks and would laugh at the antics of this
gruesome, odd family. The TV series in the 60s just added to that. Both were
black and white and that suited the material. But times change and so do
formats
I didn’t see the first animated ADDAMS FAMILY movie.
Thankfully for me it didn’t matter because I knew the characters and this one
plays on its own. The movie opens with Wednesday Addams presenting her project
for the third grade science fair. She’s chosen combining the DNA of an octopus
with her Uncle Fester which helps his brain function better. The only other
student featured has an erupting volcano that blows out a puff of smoke.
The science fair is named after famed scientist Cyrus
Strange. Once the judging is finished the award for top prize goes to…everyone.
A nice take on the concept popular of presenting all entrants with an identical
prize so they can all feel like winners. Of course Wednesday points out that
with no losers there are no winners. When all is said and done a hologram of
Strange appears to Wednesday asking her to reveal her secrets which she
rejects.
Back home Wednesday is out of sorts. She shies away from her
family. Her parents Gomez and Morticia are worried are concerned about losing
her. While she ask for her space Gomez decides instead that the family needs a
vacation to bring them all back together. The Addams RV is brought around and
loaded but before they can leave a lawyer named Mr. Mustela arrives claiming
that there was a mix up at the hospital when Wednesday was born demanding a DNA
test. Gomez ignores him and the family is off and running.
The plans were to start in Salem, Massachusetts but Uncle
Fester redirects them to Niagara Falls. It seems that the experiment Wednesday
performed on him is actually altering him into a large octopus but he’s not
even aware of it. The water there attracted him though. The family continues to
travel across country including a trip to Miami where Gomez thinks Cousin It
can help him with his problem.
Of course Mr. Mustela actually works for Cyrus Strange. If
you didn’t see that coming you’ve never been to the movies. Strange is seeking
the secret that Wednesday has and will stop at nothing to get it, even if it
means convincing her that he’s actually her father. But that’s save for the
last part of the movie.
There are plenty of jokes that kids will get a laugh at and
the visuals are bright and stimulating to the eye. That’s all well and good for
a new generation, the one that has no appreciation for the source material and
will never dig deeper than what is in front of them. To me that’s kind of sad,
especially when the source material is so much better. But Hollywood constantly
thinks they can improve on the original and fails all the time.
While watching there were two other things I wondered about.
I wondered about the classic cartoons we all grew up with, the 2D drawings the
people like Walt Disney and Tex Avery created so long ago. Those movies remain
classics to this day and yet seem to be ignored. I seriously doubt that with a
few exceptions these computer generated features will not do the same.
The other thing I noticed was that this movie seemed more
inclined to cater towards parents than it did children. There are numerous
jokes and sequences that a child won’t understand but parents will get. But not
so much that they’ll find them hilarious. The writers and directors of those
short cartoons of the past like the Looney Tunes inserted jokes that parents
would only get too. The thing is they were subtle about it, this isn’t. Parents
aren’t likely to want to re-watch this one either.
In the end this movie is one that your kids might enjoy and
you might get a laugh or two out of as well but it won’t be a long lasting
laugh. And the film won’t be one that your kids will be clamoring for to watch
over and over again. But it isn’t bad for a night’s viewing.
In 1982 horror fans were frothing at the mouth, not from
some zombie bite but because they heard about a new movie being released called
CREEPSHOW. Directed by George Romero of NIGHT OF THE LICING DEAD fame, written
by horror author Stephen King and with effects supplied by Ton Savini who had
worked with Romero on DAWN OF THE DEAD, there was little doubt the movie would
be great. It delivered on all levels. A tribute to the old EC comics the trio
had grown up with it spawned a sequel that didn’t quite do as well as the first
film.
Then the streaming service Shudder decided to take the title
to a series on their service. Produced by special effects genius Greg Nicotero
the series followed the same format as the film, offering the Creep presenting
a tale or two each episode. The series was popular enough that several specials
followed and a second season was released. That season is now available on
disc.
Following the same pattern as season one the Creep
introduces a new story each episode. Some are great and some are mediocre but
that will happen with series like this. Teen angst is covered as a girl tells
her counselor she believes her brother is trying to kill her. The end result is
more upsetting than one would believe. An installation in Antarctica unleashes
a bounty of demons on the world.
One of the most creative episodes involves an inventor who
creates an immersive virtual reality pod. What makes this so creative is that
he uses the horror film HORROR EXPRESS as his world. Combining footage from the
film with newly shot material is fascinating to watch and works well.
Everything from legendary creatures found in the outdoors to
a science fiction story of astronauts coming into contact with aliens for the
first time are used for stories here. And most of them use the tried and true
blueprint formed in those classic old comics. If you do something or someone
wrong, justice will eventually find you and flip the scales. Like in an episode
where a ruthless landlord discovers there is something more inside her pipes
than she realized.
For me my favorite episode of the season was one called
“Public Television of the Dead”. Set in the fictional public broadcasting
station WQPS the program director is forced to tell Norm Roberts that his
program “The Love of Painting with Norm Roberts” has been canceled to be
replaced by “Mrs. Bookberry’s Magical Library”. In reality Mrs. Bookberry is an
arrogant self-absorbed racist who could care less who this affects. On another
set they are shooting an episode of “The Appraiser’s Road Trip” (an obvious
parody of “Antiques Roadshow”). Host Goodman Tapert has as his guest actor Ted
Raimi. Yes the real Ted Raimi and brother of director Sam Raimi of THE EVIL
DEAD fame. Ted has brought along a book held in his family for years, the
Necronomicon. Tapert opens the book and begins to read for it releasing demons
into the studio with dire consequences. The reason this episode is so special
is all the ties into the whole EVIL DEAD mythology and actors etc. If you know
those items you can’t help but laugh through this one.
The series brings in a number of directors of horror films
with most being directed by Nicotero himself. The production values are far
above what many series like this offer. Each story is fully formed and doesn’t
feel like you walked into the middle of something. All involved deserve kudos.
Having grown up with series like THE TWILIGHT ZONE,
THRILLER, THE OUTER LIMITS, NIGHT GALLERY and last TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE and
TALES FROM THE CRYPT I am a huge fan of anthology series. You can tell from
watching this series that those involved were fans of those shows as well. Now
a new generation has their own anthology show to remember when they grow older.
Thank goodness it’s one as good as this one is. Time to look forward to season
3.
