Wicked (part 1)

 Last night I went and saw Wicked.

Original image located here. Accessed 24th November 2024

Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised that a movie adaptation of the Wicked musical would be made. After all, said musical was a mammoth success and started this trend of 'retelling the narrative of villains' (it's doubtful Frozen would've existed without Wicked). Furthermore, the existence of the movie is helpful in that this narrative can reach those who can't afford the triple digit figure for the stage show.

There's not a lot can I fault with this movie: Sure it's the first half of a duology but what's there is impressive: The visuals are astonishing, the humour & the script is great and the cast all fit their roles well. Indeed, I am convinced that playing Glinda was Ariana Grande's life ambition. 

So yeah I was won over, in a manner akin to the many who went and saw the stage show.
So! When's the next one coming?

The Addams Family

This afternoon I saw the Addams Family. 

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

Granted I have already seen it before but consider this 2024's Halloween movie.

Even now this movie is still pretty funny. Yes there are some that will complain that there is little to no plot to speak of but the acting and the jokes are right on target ("But I didn't hate my mother! It was an accident!!"). 

It seems that in recent years Gomez and Morticia seem to be held up as the ideal couple - can you argue given that Raul Julia and Angelica Houston are going above and beyond to their commitment to these roles. And the one-liners are still funny and I'm still seeing new visual gags I missed the first time around.

Ife you told me that this movie was the genesis of the goth subculture I wouldn't doubt it.

Alien: Romulus

This evening I went and saw Alien: Romulus.

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

So we have a new entrant to this franchise. A sceptic would think that this franchise has no purpose being a franchise, with a reasoning of longevity, the lessening of impact of the original, the dilution of the horror and lack of something new to say. So what can we take away from this latest instalment?

Yes it may be a rehash of the first one but that can be hardly surprising given the sizable impact the first one made. Yes there are reminders sprinkled throughout of other (and, cynically, better) Alien movies. 
But I can't hate this movie. It recognises the strengths of the franchise and works with them: The suspense, the world-building, the claustrophobia and knowing that it's what you don't see is terrifying. Get past the dull first half hour and the movie works a treat.

It does however raise the question of what is going to happen next with this franchise...

Deadpool and Wolverine

 Recently I went and saw Deadpool and Wolverine.

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

With Disney purchasing Fox, it's a no-brainer that Deadpool will be integrated into the MCU. It is equally a no-brainer that this means that the makers of the Deadpool movies will have access to some bigger toys to play with.

As for the movie itself, it's the same joke told yet again but strangely enough it has yet to grow stale. Part of the appeal for this movie is that this is pretty much an endpoint for the Fox-era of the MCU. As such, there are numerous nods to it and they work a treat.
But the real ace in the hole is of course Wolverine. Hugh Jackman slips back into the role like he never left and both Wolverine and Deadpool are fun to watch with these two personalities bouncing off one another. 

Once again, much like it's predecessors, there is a real love and real care put into this movie. That said movie is about a complete jerk is the icing on the cake.

Inside Out 2

Recently I saw Inside Out 2.

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

In a way I'm not surprised that Inside Out would get the sequel treatment: the original idea is strong enough that there is plenty of room to expand. Are the five emotions the only ones? Are there more? And if so, are they there for all time? And what happens to Headquarters when one reaches the end of their life?

It would be easy to dismiss this movie as being nothing more than a cash grab and has no hope of replicating, let alone surpassing, the magic of the original. 
And yet, that may be case but I'm not willing to write this movie completely. There is certainly a lot of expansion on the original idea as we see Riley movie into her teens and gain a whole bunch of new emotions. True a lot of them don't do much - and I can't help but notice that Joy is still the only positive emotion present - but Anxiety makes for a compelling addition. Indeed, it may hit a little too close to home for some people to see Anxiety at work - in particular the representation of a panic attack is genuinely frightening. 

All in all, a solid sequel and I'm keen to see where this series goes to next.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Recently I saw Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

Well Afterlife was a hit and proved there may be some life in the franchise yet so it should come to no surprise that a sequel would emerge. 

Thing with Ghostbusters though, is that the original movie was a satire of 1980s action heroes - a truth that would no doubt have gone over the heads of it's dedicated fanbase. So the further this franchise advances from the Reagan era, what else can it say?
The impression I got from this movie is that it appears to be at odds with itself.
On one hand the OG Ghostbusters are there to pass the torch to the new guys. But on the other, they seem to play a more active role in the action.
On one hand Melody gives the idea that ghosts are friendly. But on the other, she has her own agenda.
On one hand the film is trying to say something of it's own. But on the other, there are plenty of call-backs to the first movie.
On one hand Phoebe is set up to be the main character. But on the other, there's a large cast here with everyone clamouring for a time to shine.
On one hand it's great to see some familiar faces return. But on the other, they are still competing with the already large cast for something to do.
On one hand the threat has a load of potential. But on the other, it is overcome quite anti-climatically. 

The list goes on.

Where do we go from here indeed....

Kamikaze Girls

Recently I saw Kamikaze Girls (Shimotsuma Monogatari: Yankī-chan to Rorīta-chan)!

Original image located here. Accessed 5th November 2024

For me, there are three kinds of Japanese cinema. There's the first which is anime. There's the second that says it's own thing to an attentive world (ie the films of Akira Kurosawa). And there's the third kind: one's that dedicated to throwing as much weird/random stuff as it lay it's hands on.
But the most fascinating thing I have found about the third kind is that it's relationship to the other two: It seems to be a cousin of the first kind whilst trying to distance itself from the second kind as much as possible. 
And Kamikaze Girls belongs firmly in the third kind. And belong it does with mad colours, weird hair, randomness, a celebration of Japanese sub-cultures and a truly off-the-wall sense of humour. Needless to say, it's the kind of movie that takes a particular mindset to be appreciated.

It should be noted that I watched this movie in the company of some Lolitas so it's fair to say that this movie is one that knows its audience exactly.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Muppet Christmas Carol!

Original image located here. Accessed 23th December 2022

Yeah I've already seen this one but it still ranks as my favourite interpretation of Charles Dickens' tale. That may sound absurd but I stand by it because:
a) Muppets are awesome
b) it retains Dickens' prose via Gonzo (as crazy as that sentence reads)
c) Michael Caine gives his all and is magnificent, proving that his insistence on doing it seriously paid off incredibly
d) It actually shows Scrooge learning from what the Spirits showed him
e) It has the scariest Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

So yeah, I may have seen this before (multiple times in fact) but it never gets old and it has never been ravaged by the passage of time, 

The NeverEnding Story

Recently I watched the NeverEnding Story for the first time in a long time.

Original image located here. Accessed 29th September 2019

Geez, when did I see this last? I had only seen this once before and it was when I was in primary school, either in year 1 or year 3. Still, I do recall this being one of my earliest exposures to fantasy. As such, there is a lot from it that I remember quite vividly: I remember Rockbiter; I remember Falkor; I remember two sets of Sphinx statues (one gold that shoots death rays, the other blue that crumbles); I remember the trauma-inducing fate of Artax and, of course, I remember that unforgettable theme song in all its eighties-synth glory.

Looking back at it now through the perspective of nearly thirty years, I see some things I don’t recognise in the form of the Gmork and the climax where Atreyu meets the Childlike Empress. Furthermore, looking at the movie through the perspective of an adult, I have to admit that the film that the film still holds up with the use of puppetry, practical effects and the strength of its ideas. I have previously stated that the eighties fantasy movies tend to look a lot more grungier than their post-Lord of the Rings cousins and this is no exception.

However, one thing that strikes me about the Never-Ending Story, particularly through an adult perspective, is that it doesn’t look like a High Fantasy movie. If anything, I can’t help but notice but Fantasia looks kind of…..well…barren. The population is sparse, there is little to no sign of civilisation, and Atreyu’s quest seems to be going from location to location with stretches of empty-looking distance in between. Rockbiter, Nighthob and Teeny Weeny are shown as messengers for regions that are never shown and the Childlike Empress is the only sign of authority which makes me wonder just how much authority she actually has. Okay granted the film-makers of the time most likely didn’t have the budget to produce a living, breathing world (like Lord of the Rings) but we are told that Fantasia is a dying world – and yet shown at the same time that Fantasia is kind of empty. I swear, I can’t be the only one who noticed that the Southern Oracle is shown to be situated right in the middle of nowhere.

In fact, as strange as this may sound, I’m getting a Legend of Zelda vibe from this movie. Allow to me explain: When I played the original Legend of Zelda I realised that we have a protagonist, Link, traversing across a dangerous and sparsely populated world in order to help out an unseen monarch (Princess Zelda). The idea was a strong one and enough to make me wonder that if Hyrule is in the state it was, what kind of power Zelda had. Of course that maybe me trying to find a truth that wasn’t there to begin with but it’s the same wavelength with the Never-Ending Story. Indeed, I can’t help but think that whether the Never-Ending Story informed my perception of Legend of Zelda.
But at the end of the day, this movie still has wonder, inventiveness and holds up quite well over three decades later. And hey, who wouldn’t want to ride across the skies on a luck dragon?

Army of Darkness

Last night I saw Army of Darkness.

Original image located here. Accessed 22nd October 2018

This isn't the first time I've seen this movie - which subsequently disqualifies it as a candidate for the Friday Night Movie. But when i first saw this movie it was my first exposure to the Evil Dead franchise - which in turn left me wondering what the hell is going on. Still, I have since seen it's predecessors, so revisiting this film would make for an even playing field, right?

Make no mistake, this is the silliest of the trilogy - to a point where it no longer has any resemblance to a horror movie. It also is the point where Ash's character solidifies into a sarcastic anti-hero he is best known for - but I've seen him, over the course of two movies, arrive to that point in time and yeah, I'd probably get quite irate too.
I spoke previously about how I'm confused as to how to react to such a horror/comedy hybrid but that doesn't seem to be the case here: Army of Darkness is clearly a comedy but for me, such an clear sense of identity comes at the cost of my interest. Still it was funny to me to see Patrica Tallman in it (wow, Lyta Alexander really let herself go!)