Review: ‘The Addams Family 2’
Not So Creepy, Not So Kooky, Not So Funny

By
Travis Hopson
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The creepy and kooky creations of Charles Addams may have found themselves a new torture device: subject victims to The Addams Family 2. Fans of the oddly macabre clan, led by Gomez and Morticia Addams (voiced by Oscar Isaac and Charlize Theron) will wonder who approved this monstrously unfunny sequel that miscalculates on everything that has made the Addams’ popular. They are and have always been counterculture icons, who always stayed true to one another when the outside world rejected their ghoulish ways. Instead, Wednesday Addams might not be an actual Addams. Say what? And the Addams’ are now too generic to be counterculture anything.

The Addams Family 2 finds the morose Wednesday (Chloe Grace Moretz) using her apparent scientific brilliance to create a Frankenstein-like device that transfers the traits of one into another, like poor Uncle Fester (Nick Kroll) who is given some of the smarts of her pet octopus. Not that this matters at a school science fair where everybody wins in order to not hurt any kid’s feelings. It does get the attention of Cyrus Strange (Bill Hader), who wants the invention for himself. While Wednesday turns down his offer of employment, he isn’t going to give up so easily.

While it makes sense for your typical teen girl to pull away from her parents, it never quite clicks when Wednesday begins to do it to her parents, particularly Gomez. Distraught over his daughter’s lack of affection for the family, he gathers the troops for a forced road trip, in their own spooky version of a Family Truckster, to hit some of America’s most cherished landmarks…like Death Valley, the Salem Witch Trials, and of course, Sleepy Hollow. But they are in constant pursuit by a sniveling lawyer (Wallace Shawn) with his own Lurch-like companion, who claims to have proof Wednesday was switched at birth. As if she wasn’t feeling like an outsider already!

Nothing about this plot makes sense in the world of the Addams Family. An army of screenwriters apparently couldn’t figure out the family dynamic, with Wednesday showing outright animosity towards pretty much everyone. While she might have been gloomy and a loner by nature, she is like all of the Addams’ which is accepting and encouraging of their weirdness, just as they are to her. But in this film, just as in its predecessor, the story revolves around Wednesday’s attempts to fit in which is so unlike her as to be distracting. Furthermore, when she inevitably reverts back to form, it’s as unconvincing as her original turn.

The move to animation has only encouraged this tendency to go too far with how the Addams’ treat one another. In one scene, Wednesday uses a voodoo doll to bounce Pugsley (Javon Walton, replacing Finn Wolfhard) all around Niagra Falls in an effort to kill him, one of the numerous attempts to end her sibling’s life. None of Wednesday’s murderous stunts are particularly humorous, as very little of The Addams Family 2 is overall, and again, it doesn’t get the Wednesday/Pugsley sibling rivalry at all.

When Snoop Dogg arrives to voice Cousin It, and he turns out to be a hip-hop star that everybody wants to clamor around, you know The Addams’ have once again embraced the mainstream, as they did with the classic live-action movies of the ’90s. I mean, MC Hammer did an entire hit single and video for them! But I would argue those films at least understood The Addams Family is best the more subversive it gets. There’s nothing remotely edgy this time around, but it’s also not specially geared towards kids, either. It’s truly hard to figure out who The Addams Family 2 is for other than diehards, and even they might wish this sequel had been kept under the crawlspace.

The Addams Family 2 is available now in theaters and VOD.

Disney And Scarlett Johansson Settle Their ‘Black Widow’ Dispute

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October 1, 2021

And Disney’s very public black eye that was Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit against them is finally over. Of course, it all boiled down to money and a settlement we knew had to be coming. Last summer, shortly after the hybrid release of Black Widow, Johansson sued the company over lost profits caused by the change in release strategy. Disney’s response was…well, it wasn’t great, with many claiming their treatment of her was sexist.

Well, it’s over now. THR reports that a settlement has been reached between Disney and Johansson. Of course, the terms aren’t known and probably never will be, but we can assume she’ll be compensated nicely for whatever she might have lost when Black Widow was released through Disney+ Premier Access. Considering Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings recently surpassed it in total domestic box office, Johansson probably had a pretty good case to make.

“I am happy to have resolved our differences with Disney. I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done together over the years and have greatly enjoyed my creative relationship with the team. I look forward to continuing our collaboration in years to come,” Scarlett Johansson said in a statement.

Johansson is currently filming Wes Anderson’s upcoming project in Spain, and after that she’ll get back to work for Disney on their Tower of Terror movie.

Review: ‘Stop And Go’
The COVID Road Trip Comedy Is A Breath of Fresh Air Among Other Pandemic Films

By
Cortland Jacoby
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Can we make fun of the pandemic yet? Can we find the comedy in an illness that killed millions of people all over the world? Permission is fully given in the new road-trip comedy Stop and Go.

Known for their work on the Bringham Young Sketch comedy series Studio C, real-life childhood friends Mallory Everton and Whitney Call play close sisters and roommates, Blake and Jamie. Both are women in their early 30s, who sort of have their ish together but are struggling in one particular area.

When the pandemic hits, both women realize their elderly grandmother is safer with them than in her nursing home. The two decide to drive across the country 20 hours during the pandemic – what could go wrong?

Written by Call and Everton (who have been friends since they were 9 years old), Stop and Go’s script is rooted in the relationship between the two sisters. From online dating faux pas to singing in the car to finding a pet sitter, the film is overflowing with oodles of charm.

Because this is a road trip movie, the duo gets into shenanigans along the way. Some of their adventures, like an odd dog breeding scenario, would feel over the top if executed differently by co-directors Everton and Stephen Meek. Because the creative team bookends those scenes with real moments, the absurdity falls away.

The film’s third act does have some issues. There’s a twist in the final 15 minutes that is then reversed in the final 5. The whole maneuver takes away from the film’s ending.

While many films focusing on the pandemic either felt too close to home or tried too hard, a lot can be said for the 2021 SXSW contender. What works about Stop and Go is that the film doesn’t try to be relatable on purpose. Instead, Call and Everton smartly try to find every comedic moment and squeeze as much humor and reality as they can out of it. The relatability comes from the sisters’ relationship. There’s no big lesson learned or major life-changing character arcs. All in all Stop and Go is a slice of life film that works.

Most road movies now focus on two warring parties, often fighting over the future or shared trauma. Stop and Go is a rare breed, focusing instead on two allies that know together they can get through anything. That might be the best lesson one can take away from the pandemic.

You can watch Stop and Go in theaters and on-demand. Watch the trailer below

‘Just Beyond’ Trailer: The Supernatural Horrors Of R.L. Stine Come To Disney+ In October

By

Travis Hopson

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September 30, 2021

Horror and anthology television shows just go hand and hand, with literally decades of evidence to prove it. Disney+ is getting into the action with Just Beyond, which is based on the series of graphic novel stories from legendary Goosebumps and Fear Street author, R.L. Stine.

McKenna Grace, Nasim Pedrad, Gabriel Bateman, Tim Heidecker, Riki Lindholme, Lexi Underwood, and more star in the eight-episode series about all sorts of supernatural creepiness. The series is written and directed by Seth Grahame-Smith, whose horror cred consists of Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows and directing Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. He’s also involved with the upcoming Green Lantern Corps. series on HBO Max.

Just Beyond arrives on Disney+ beginning October 13th.

Today, Disney+ released the thrilling new trailer for the upcoming series “Just Beyond” from the world of R.L. Stine. The eight-episode anthology series tells astonishing and thought-provoking stories of a reality just beyond the one we know. Each episode introduces viewers to a new cast of characters who must go on a surprising journey of self-discovery in a supernatural world of witches, aliens, ghosts and parallel universes.

Review: ‘Witch Hunt’
A Welcome, Modern-Day Reimagining Of The Salem Witch Trials

By
Travis Hopson
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September 30, 2021

NOTE: This review was originally part of our 2021 SXSW Film Festival coverage. Witch Hunt opens in theaters, digital, and VOD on October 1st.

Imagine the Salem Witch Trials on a national scale and you’ve got the basic idea behind the SXSW Midnight entry, Witch Hunt. Writer/director Elle Callahan’s followup to Head Count blends the high school fantasy of The Craft (clearly some influence) with serious-minded topical discussion on race, hatred towards women, and xenophobia. It’s an uneven balance, but an exceptional premise that reflects on America’s history of mistreatment of minority classes, along with nods to the heightened climate of today, makes this a witch’s brew worth bottling up and saving.

After a prologue finds a New England witch burned at the stage while her two young daughters watch helplessly, Witch Hunt moves the action to SoCal where high schooler Claire (Blockers star Gideon Adlon) just wants to fit in with the popular girls who are prejudiced to those red-haired witches (they all seem to have red hair) who have “magic in the blood”. This is made difficult by Claire’s home life, where her mother (Lost alum Elizabeth Mitchell, a personal favorite) helps shepherd wayward witches to safety in Mexico via an underground network. Her mother’s actions have drawn the attention of the BWI, a group of government-sanctioned hunters who combine classic and modern anti-witch tactics, but she still decides to take in two more refugees, Fiona (Abigail Cowen) and Shae (Echo Campbell), the two girls who watched their mother burned. Despite all of her prejudices, Claire takes a liking to them, and sets out to help get them to safety. All of this against the backdrop of Claire writing a school paper on Amendment XI, which makes witchcraft illegal. So you know she’ll have some lessons learned just in time to question the Constitutionality of such a thing in her evening’s homework.

Callahan doesn’t attempt to be subtle, perhaps because the film is aimed at the teen demographic. The metaphors to today are clear, not just to racism but to the dangers of xenophobic leaders passing legislation to attack their enemies, something we saw first-hand in the previous Presidential administration. Also the fear and degradation of women, as the witches are dehumanized as making a “choice” to be evil when that’s not at all the case. Those expecting the chills of a Midnight selection will instead find pointed political commentary, putting it the same orbit of The Purge movies. While production values are clearly constrained, Callahan makes the most with what she has by leaning on the rural landscape and the performances of her cast. Adlon, who has already dabbled in witchcraft as part of The Craft: Legacy, handles like a seasoned vet Claire’s struggle to find herself in a world of many biases. While Witch Hunt is more traditional than its initial premise would suggest, it’s a welcome reimagining of witches and the kind of world-building that has you hoping Callahan can conjure up another with greater resources at her disposal.

Review: ‘Bingo Hell’ & ‘Black As Night’
Welcome To The Blumhouse Kicks Off Halloween Season With Two Mediocre Scares

By
Jen Pourreza
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‘Welcome to the Blumhouse’ is a film series consisting of theme-related and thriller-horror anthology that started in the fall of 2020. The series is developed and produced by Blumhouse Productions for Prime Video as Amazon Prime Originals. The first two installments (Bingo Hell and Black as Night) of the 4-movie Halloween 2021 addition are back and kick off October 1st. The second two installments, Madres and The Manor will release on Prime Video on October 8th.

Bingo Hell

Oak Springs is a small and struggling neighborhood; one with some crime but emboldened residents fight to see their community and people thrive. In the barrio of Oak Springs live a strong and stubborn group of elderly friends who refuse to be pushed around, let alone, aside. Despite a new and secretive business man with deep pockets who comes to town and also brings the “fucking hipsters”, the local elders try to remain tolerable. One main thing they have in common is their love for the game of Bingo. All goes well until the smarmy businessman buys the Bingo Hall and completely changes the rules of the game. He spins his own version that promises folks a way out of their economic and emotional despair with suitcases full of money.

Lupita’s (Adriana Barraza, Thor, Drag Me to Hell, Babel) stubborn and hard-core leader locally as well as spiritually. She is determined to keep the neighborhood together. Feeling a responsibility for her peers, she notices their disappearances, and takes it upon herself to find out what is going on. Lupita arrives at their homes to find nothing but stacks of cash and a relentless neon green goop that grossly sticks to literally every surface it touches. The devil like businessman, aptly known as Mr. Big (Richard Brake, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Doom) has taken over the Bingo hall. Each night the game is played, the money pot gets larger and the winners get more than they ever bargained for. As Lupita starts connecting the dots and refuses to cash in on the hype as Mr. Big increases the dangers as he desires to take over the entire town.

Bingo Hell is directed and co-written by Gigi Saul Guerrero (Culture Shock). The film explores the moral dilemmas of gentrification: Can money equal liberation and at what cost? The film has a unique aspect to it considering, a group of elderlies are doing some serious ass kicking. Two death scenes in particular are more graphic than I expected. The possessed self destruction is definitely good but intense. Overall, it’s not bad but not that great either. The film has more of a Twilight Zone and Creepshow kind of vibe and has a decent scare ambiance suitable for those that don’t care for a lot of horror and gore. The film also stars L. Scott Caldwell and Joshua Caleb Johnson. I rate it 2.5/5 Stars

Bingo Hell releases on Prime Video on October 1st.

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Black as Night

The second of the Blumhouse Anthology switches gears and generations of elders fighting the devil/demon over greed to teenagers slaying vampires who target urban and lower-class residents.

Shawna (Asjha Cooper, Everybody Wants Some!!, Hysteria) is a teenage girl with self-esteem issues who just hit a growth spurt. She finds confidence and support with her childhood best friend, Pedro (Fabrizio Guido, Mr. Iglesias). It’s been 15 years since Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans and now a new threat comes around to leave its mark on the Big Easy. This new threat leaves puncture wounds on the throats of the city’s already vulnerable and economically displaced population. When Shawna’s drug-addicted mom becomes the latest victim of the undead, the 15-year old black beauty vows to even the score.

Shawna says good-bye to her adolescence and along with her three trusted friends, hatches a bold plan to battle the deadly vampires. They must infiltrate the vampire’s mansion in the historic French Quarter, destroy their leader, and turn his fanged disciples back to their human form. But killing hungry vampires is no easy task, and soon Shawna and her crew find themselves caught in a centuries-old conflict. The teenagers and each warring vampire faction is fighting to claim New Orleans as their permanent home including the town preacher (Emmy Winner, Keith David).

Black as Night is a teenage action-horror hybrid with a strong social conscience and a biting sense of humor. Cooper is a fantastic leading lady who beautifully steps her character up from young girl to strong black woman with the help of her best friend, a boy crush, and a peculiar rich girl. The film is directed by Maritte Le Go and carries a softer tone more perpendicular to an episode of Nickelodeon’s, Are You Afraid of the Dark? series. Although fun and enlightening, it lacks any real thrill or horror. A movie that’s only good for anyone breaking into the horror/thriller genre or those that like to keep their trills to a minimum. The film also stars Mason Beauchamp, Abbie Gayle, and Craig Tate. I rate it 2/5 Stars.

Black as Night releases on Prime Video on October 1st.

‘Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn’ Trailer: Wild Golden Bear-Winning Comedy Finds A Teacher In Sex Tape Scandal

By

Travis Hopson

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September 30, 2021

So you probably read that title in the headline and are wondering if we’ve suddenly become a Pornhub affiliate or are staring a PDC Onlyfans account. Not quite. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn is actually a Golden Bear-winning film from director Radu Jude. That said, the title does it complete and total justice, and you get just a small taste of the sex-crazed romp in the new trailer.

Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn centers on a school teacher who is in hot water after a sex tape she made with her husband surfaces on the Internet. And as you can see in this trailer, that invites all types of oversexed craziness into her life at the worst possible times and places. I love that horny ol’ sailor guy trying to get him some! And the other old guy who demands to watch the whole video before passing judgment on her.

Starring Katia Pascariu, Claudia Ieremia, Olimpia Malai, and Nicodim Ungureanu, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn opens on November 19th.

Emi, a schoolteacher, finds her reputation under threat after a personal sex tape is uploaded onto the internet. Forced to meet the parents demanding her dismissal, Emi refuses to surrender. BAD LUCK BANGING OR LOONY PORN is a film in three loosely connected parts: a walk in the city of Bucharest, then a playful essay on obscenities, all culminating, in the third part, in an incendiary comic confrontation.

‘Wolf’ Trailer: George MacKay And Lily-Rose Depp Have An Animal Attraction

By

Travis Hopson

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September 30, 2021

To the best of my knowledge, there is no such thing as “species identity disorder”, which finds people who believe themselves to be an entirely different species, like an animal. But perhaps there will be once people see it depicted by the gorgeous duo of Lily-Rose Depp and George MacKay in Wolf.

MacKay, who is best known for starring in 1917, plays a man who belives he is a wolf, going so far as to eat, sleep, and live like one. While at a mental health clinic he meets a woman, played by Voyagers‘ Rose-Depp, who thinks she is a wildcat. Their animal urges for one another are complicated by the differences between their species.

Yeah, this shit is weird.

Also in the cast are Paddy Considine and Eileen Walsh. The film was written and directed by Nathalie Biancheri (Nocturnal), and recently premiered at TIFF.

Wolf opens in theaters on December 3rd.

Believing he is a wolf trapped in a human body, Jacob (George MacKay) eats, sleeps, and lives like a wolf – much to the shock of his family. When he’s sent to a clinic, Jacob and his animal-bound peers are forced to undergo increasingly extreme forms of ‘curative’ therapies. However once he meets the mysterious Wildcat (Lily-Rose Depp), and as their friendship blossoms into an undeniable infatuation, Jacob is faced with a challenge: will he renounce his true self for love.

Will Smith Open To Returning As Deadshot, Gives Reason For Not Joining ‘The Suicide Squad’

By

Travis Hopson

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September 30, 2021

Watching James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, it’s clear that at some point Will Smith’s Deadshot was meant to be there. The storyline given to Idris Elba’s Bloodsport is basically the same as Deadshot’s: same father/daughter dynamic, same abilities, same attitude. So why didn’t Smith just return himself when others from the previous film did? At least according to him in an interview with GQ, it was all down to scheduling. Not only that, but he’d be willing to come back…

“Yeah, I was working, and they were ready to shoot,” said Smith. “It was a timing issue.”

Smith continued in a way that suggests he doesn’t even know how The Suicide Squad turned out…

“The left Deadshot out [of ‘The Suicide Squad’], right? So Idris [Elba] is playing a different character or is he playing Deadshot? A different character? Alright, cool, so I can come back.”

How cool would a Deadshot vs. Bloodsport matchup be? I’d be down for that, and something tells me Warner Bros. would be, too. I think the more likely avenue is for Smith to do a Deadshot series on HBO Max. Would you like to see that?

Smith will be seen next in King Richard, a major awards season drama opening on November 19th.

‘Maya And The Three’ Trailer: A Warrior Princess Faces The God Of War In New Series From ‘Book Of Life’ Director

By

Travis Hopson

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September 30, 2021

I’m super pumped for Netflix’s Maya and the Three, and that’s all because of director Jorge R. Gutiérrez. His film The Book of Life explored Mexican culture with an intricate, blocky style that was simply gorgeous. His approach is similar this time, too, and it looks just as beautiful and perfect for a story full of magic, adventure, and steeped in Mexican lore.

Zoe Saldana voices the titular Maya, a 15-year-old warrior with a gigantic family secret. Her life is forfeit to the God of War, setting her on a dangerous quest to fulfill an ancient prophecy.

The extensive voice cast includes Gabriel Iglesias, Allen Maldonado, Stephanie Beatriz, Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal, Alfred Molina, Kate del Castillo, Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, Rosie Perez, Queen Latifah, Wyclef Jean, Jorge R. Gutiérrez, Sandra Equihua, Isabela Merced, Chelsea Rendon, Joaquín Cosío, Carlos Alazraqui, Eric Bauza, and Rita Moreno.

Maya and the Three hits Netflix on October 22nd.

In a fantastical world, where magic turns the world and four kingdoms rule the lands, a brave and rebellious warrior princess named Maya is about to celebrate her fifteenth birthday and coronation. But everything changes when the gods of the underworld arrive and announce that Maya’s life is forfeit to the God of War — a price she must pay for her family’s secret past. If Maya refuses, the whole world will suffer the gods’ vengeance. To save her beloved family, her friends, and her own life, Maya embarks on a thrilling quest to fulfill an ancient prophecy that foretells the coming of three great warriors who will help her defeat the gods and save humankind.