Movie Reviews
Beetlejuice mania takes over San Antonio for the SA premiere – Review
It has been 36 years since Michael Keaton haunted the Deetz family in the first Beetlejuice film, and now the ghost with the most is back to wreak havoc once again. See the sights and sounds from the San Antonio premiere as well as our non-spoiler review of the film.
Keaton returns to his iconic role alongside Oscar nominee Winona Ryder (Stranger Things, Little Women) as Lydia Deetz and two-time Emmy winner Catherine O’Hara (Schitt$ Creek, The Nightmare Before Christmas) as Delia Deetz, with new cast members Justin Theroux (Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, The Leftovers), Monica Bellucci (Spectre, The Matrix films), Arthur Conti (House of the Dragon) in his feature film debut, with Emmy nominee Jenna Ortega (Wednesday, Scream VI) as Lydia’s daughter, Astrid, and Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (Poor Things, At Eternity’s Gate).
Beetlejuice is back! After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.
Burton, a genre unto himself, directs from a screenplay by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar (Wednesday), story by Gough & Millar and Seth Grahame-Smith (The LEGO® Batman Movie), based on characters created by Michael McDowell & Larry Wilson. The film’s producers are Marc Toberoff, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Tommy Harper and Burton, with Sara Desmond, Katterli Frauenfelder, Gough, Millar, Brad Pitt, Larry Wilson, Laurence Senelick, Pete Chiappetta, Andrew Lary, Anthony Tittanegro, Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg executive producing.
Burton’s creatives behind the scenes includes director of photography Haris Zambarloukos (Meg 2: The Trench, Murder on the Orient Express); such previous and frequent collaborators as production designer Mark Scruton (Wednesday), editor Jay Prychidny (Wednesday), Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood (Alice in Wonderland, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Sleepy Hollow), Oscar-winning creature effects and special makeup FX creative supervisor Neal Scanlan (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and Oscar-nominated composer Danny Elfman (Big Fish, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Batman); and Oscar-winning hair and makeup designer Christine Blundell (Topsy-Turvy).
Movie Reviews
‘Wolf Man’ will have you howling in fear – Review
Talk about perfect timing to release a horror film, right after the first full moon of 2025, which is known as the wolf moon. Blumhouse is known to produce amazing horror movies without the large budget and granting directors the freedom of creativity. Wolf Man has all the right elements for delivering a fantastic terror thriller movie.
Director Leigh Whannell once again raises the bar for the new era of horror films. He knows how to get into the mind of the audience and lures them into a psychological nightmare. Whannell stuck with the Blumhouse tradition with the main plot being set in a home– a place where you typically consider to have a sense of security, a home sweet home feeling. Then, the terrifying atmosphere begins to set in as soon as rug is pulled from underneath you and the warm feeling is gone.
The storyline has a unique approach about a father-son-daughter relationship and mother- daughter relationship that applies the supernatural werewolf theme. Wolf Man has the ideal cast that were able to convert and adapt their characters gradually throughout the scenes. Christopher Abbott as Blake delivered an impressive performance, especially transforming from a subdued father to bring out his inner animal. Julia Garner as Charlotte, Blake’s wife, did well transforming from a city dweller to finding her grit to survive and protect her daughter, Ginger – played by adorable and witty Matilda Firth.
Whannell also used distinctive camera angles and styles that immerses the audience into Blake’s viewpoint when he is transitioning into a wolf man. The slow heavy breathing and deep low vibrating sound effects also added to the chilling experience. The make-up special effects department did an exceptional work with the disintegrating tissue and detaching limbs. There are plenty of gruesome scenes that will have you squirming and popping out of your seat, even pulling your hair. If you are familiar with Whannell’s work, you will even notice some references to Saw and M3GAN.
The ending did leave a bit of a cliffhanger. It will have your mind wondering and forming your own conclusions, a great way to make discussions with your movie companions. Wolf Man will be sure to satisfy the appetite of horror film fanatics.
Movie Reviews
Nick Frost’s new film ‘Get Away’ will having you second guess the next family vacation – Review
Synopsis
Written and starring the hilarious Nick Frost, ‘Get Away‘ puts a slight spin on previous horror films such as “Midsommar‘. You get everything from the humor to the gore that you expect from a Nick Frost film and there are some twists you won’t see coming. Catch it now on the Shudder streaming service and let us know what you think in the comments.
Synopsis: The Smith family’s much-needed vacation to the remote Swedish island of Svalta takes a dark turn when they arrive during preparations for a mysterious local festival that celebrates a dark history. Unsettled by the unfriendly locals and strange rituals, they try to make the best of their trip, stubbornly enjoying the island’s isolation and natural beauty. However, as the festival looms closer, the family realizes something far more sinister is unfolding—especially when they discover that a serial killer is on the loose.
Movie Reviews
‘V/H/S Beyond’ is a solid addition to the franchise – Review
From Shudder comes 6 all new short films that make up V/H/S Beyond. Directors Kate Siegel, Justin Martinez, Jay Cheel, Justin Long, Christian Long, Jordan Downey, and Virat Pal have compiled 6 very different yet effectively terrifying tales that make V/H/S Beyond a worthy addition to the franchise. See my instant reaction below.
SYNOPSIS: Six bloodcurdling tapes unleash horror in a sci-fi-inspired hellscape, pushing the boundaries of fear and suspense. From Directors Kate Siegel, Justin Martinez, Jay Cheel, Justin Long, Christian Long, Jordan Downey, and Virat Pal.
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