As far as found-footage movies go this wasn't half bad. I've seen so many worse ones over the years that nowadays I pretty much expect most of them too be bad, but this was decent. I found the two leads to be kind of insufferable and mostly unlikeable but once the horror stuff started happening it definitely got better for me although it takes some time to getting there which can be frustrating. While its nothing original I really thought the scares, atmosphere and tension was executed pretty well.
6/10
This had an interesting premise, but when your main character is so unlikeable its honestly hard to get invested in any of the horrible stuff that's going on and the ending just fell completely flat IMO. It's well shot and well acted though and I appreciated the subtly of it but its definitely not going to be for everyone. It's more of a dark drama than a horror film but the Mexican folklore element does add a unique flavor to it.
Night 0: MaXXXine
Night 1: Black Sabbath
Night 2: The Neon Demon
Night 3: Beetlejuice
Night 4: Dracula (1979)
Night 5: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
Night 6: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
The first of several Dracula/Nosferatu themed films I'm going to watch during the marathon. This was an unfamiliar adaptation of Dracula to me, based on both the novel and a stage play from 1924. The lead, Frank Langella, had played Dracula in a revival of the stage play a couple of years earlier. The revival won a Tony and led to this film adaptation, directed by John Badham (Saturday Night Fever). Fun fact: in a 1927 version of the play, Dracula was played by one Bela Lugosi.
As I mentioned, I had never heard of this film, but after coming across the blu-ray and noticing that Donald Pleasence was in it, I knew that I had to watch it immediately. It's no surprise that this has been largely forgotten, it was one of three Dracula-themed movies released in 1979. Its box office was eclipsed by a comedic take, Love at First Bite, and its critical degree by Werner Herzog's masterful Nosferatu the Vampyre.
Still, this is an entirely watchable film with excellent visuals and a cool soundtrack from John Williams. There's also an iconic acting duo in Donald Pleasence and Laurence Olivier, as Dr. Jack Seward and Professor Abraham Van Helsing. They have the most fun. Langella isn't bad at all, but he's let down by sketchy styling. This has to be the worst haircut Dracula has ever had, he looks like a daytime soap star from the 80s who walked into the wrong set. There isn't much horror going on, but I do like the look of the vampires; it's very Evil Dead. The direction is mostly workmanlike, but there's a couple key sequences with wonderfully trippy visuals that pair nicely with the lavish production design. Overall, a worthy watch.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is here, and it's surprisingly enjoyable. In a world of blandly safe legacy sequels, this is a true, meaner sequel with an identity of its own. Something that I criticized in the trailer was the by-the-numbers choir rendition of Day-O and what it could've entailed for the movie, but I'm happy to say that that scene is the only inclusion of Harry Belafonte's music in the movie, and its inclusion makes perfect sense, beyond easy nostalgia.
That's very much the tone the entire movie goes for. Many familiar elements from the 1988 film are revisited and expanded upon, but they're only a portion of a project that isn't just Beetlejuice 2, it's a brand-new horror comedy and a real energizer for director Tim Burton.
The production values are divine, and the movie's haunted house aesthetic is a perfectly realized mixture of retro and modern filmmaking. Danny Elfman returns as the composer and has beautifully rearranged familiar themes with brand-new elements peppered in throughout. Unfortunately, the story is a little bit muddled. There's a few side plots too many, and ultimately none of them come to a particularly satisfying conclusion.
The cast is stacked with talent. The highlight for me was Monica Bellucci's Delores, but she could've used three times as much screentime. Her screen presence is no joke, but she has maybe five lines, and even though she has the most incredible introduction imaginable (shared with a fun actor that I didn't know was in the movie), it doesn't go anywhere.
I do have to admit that I'm getting a little bit bored by Jenna Ortega picking similar roles time and time again, it makes it seem like she has no range whatsoever, but she's reliably good in this. Michael Keaton's role as Beetlejuice is limited, as it should be, and he does surprisingly well with it 35 years later, even if the character's energy is rather low-key compared to what it once was.
I always love seeing Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara, and they're excellent in the movie. Finally, Willem Dafoe is a great addition to the franchise, and his character, a former actor and currently a ghost detective, is a natural fit to the world of Beetlejuice.
I do think they should've released this in October, the Halloween vibes are out of control, and I don't think there's anything quite this fitting coming out for the spookiest month. If they were to make one, I'd welcome a Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice with open arms.
I've kicked off the main movie series of my marathon this year. I've only seen this first one twice, and the remake.
This is a much smaller film than its legacy. A Nightmare on Elm Street is a dirty, grungy supernatural slasher that clocks out at under 90 minutes. It's lean, mean, and a lot of fun. The practical effects are beautiful, and there's a few suspenseful sequences in a runtime that's largely delightfully campy.
I'm beyond excited to delve further into this franchise in the coming weeks.
18.The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024) dir. Renny Harlin (NEW)
Bite-Sized Review: A truly lifeless film that does not understand at all why the first film was scary. But it also had Cheryl Blossom looking good and doing her damnedest. So awful, but I guess worth the watch.
*1/4
19. Train to Busan (2016) dir. Yeon Sang-ho (NEW)
Bite-Sized Review: Knowing the runtime, after 15 minutes I couldn't imagine how this could be a two hour film. I'm clearly an idiot. A beautiful and painful action flick, that hits all the right and wrong notes. And please, will someone just kill that ****er already!
****1/4
20. The Nun II (2023) dir. Michael Chaves
Bite-Sized Review: Not a great film but feels like a miracle after the first was so bad. Thankfully the Farmiga sisters can make anything worth the effort.
Gave one of the worst performances I've seen all year in the Strangers. Blown away at how bad he is, especially next to Petsch giving it her all. It was whiplash going from this to Busan.
Gave one of the worst performances I've seen all year in the Strangers. Blown away at how bad he is, especially next to Petsch giving it her all. It was whiplash going from this to Busan.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
