Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) | REVIEW

Michael Keaton as the titular character in Tim Burton’s BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE — PHOTO: Warner Bros. Pictures (Still image from trailers).

Directed by Tim Burton — Screenplay by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar — Story by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Seth Grahame-Smith

It has been thirty-six years since Tim Burton — from writing by Michael McDowell, Warren Skaaren, and Larry Wilson — wowed audiences with his dark horror-comedy film about the afterlife, Beetlejuice. A lot has happened since then, for instance, Michael Keaton — the actor portraying the film’s zany titular character — became a household name and Batman (and Birdman!) himself, and Burton’s career rose and fell as he navigated the studio system with varying success. Despite having struggled critically over more than the last decade, Tim Burton remains an auteur with a distinct style and, as luck would have it, a new generation has embraced it following his Netflix hit Wednesday starring Jenna Ortega. This welcomed career resurgence has now led to the long-awaited sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which welcomes back most (but not all) of the principal original cast. And, although the film isn’t quite as good or instantly iconic as the original film, Burton’s long-anticipated sequel has the right energy and sense of style to make it a thoroughly good time, despite how messy it sometimes feels.

Continue reading “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) | REVIEW”

REVIEW: Stranger Things – Season Four, Vols. 1 & 2 (2022)

(Left-to-Right) Joe Keery, Gaten Matarazzo, Maya Hawke, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, and Caleb McLaughlin’s characters must confront a new mysterious and murderous monster in the latest season of ‘Stranger Things’ — Photo: NETFLIX.

This is a review of both halves — Vols. I & II– of Stranger Things: Season Four.

Like The Crown and BoJack Horseman, Stranger Things has long been one of Netflix’s most consistently good shows. The nostalgia-based supernatural coming-of-age horror-thriller show that was created by the Duffer brothers has managed to stay really good and really entertaining for four seasons now — including this latest season, which was split into two parts (with the season finale having a runtime of almost two-and-a-half hours) — and, even though the show still wears its inspirations on its sleeves, the show is getting better in many ways. In fact, I would say that this fourth season, which is probably the goriest and most horror-like of the bunch, is the best season of the show since the very rewatchable debut season, even though this latest season included two season-long subplots that were never as engaging as the main story was.

Continue reading “REVIEW: Stranger Things – Season Four, Vols. 1 & 2 (2022)”

REVIEW: Stranger Things: Season Three (2019)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of the third season of Netflix’s Stranger Things — Created by the Duffer Brothers.

Today, Stranger Things is, alongside The Crown, probably the original show that has become the face of Netflix. The first season of the series was a surprise hit that seemed to have significantly overperformed. It was a nostalgic 80s science-fiction drama with children in the leading roles that made people think of E. T., The Goonies, and many other films like those. It was a 2016 breakout hit that gave career boosts to David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, and Finn Wolfhard. The much anticipated second season, which was released the following year, wasn’t met with as much acclaim, but still succeeded in developing characters’ relationships satisfyingly while still bringing pleasant references to the beloved 1980s-era cinema, with Aliens now being the primary inspiration. Continue reading “REVIEW: Stranger Things: Season Three (2019)”

REVIEW: Stranger Things – Season Two (2017)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a full review of the second season of Stranger Things. Available now on Netflix.

When I published my short review of the first season of Stranger Things five days after Netflix had released all eight episodes, I had no idea how big of a mainstream hit it would be. Although House of Cards was the first streaming show to appear as more than just a blip on the radar for television aficionados, Stranger Things seems to be the first Netflix show to hold the attention of western audiences the way the biggest AMC and HBO dramas have in previous years. Continue reading “REVIEW: Stranger Things – Season Two (2017)”

REVIEW: Stranger Things – Season One (2016)

Poster - Netflix
Poster – Netflix

The following is a quick review of the first season of Stranger Things. Available now on Netflix.

Stranger Things is Netflix’s newest original series, and, in my opinion, it might be the best new show they’ve done since maybe Marvel’s Jessica Jones. Stranger Things is a science fiction horror show, which is set in the 1980s, starring Winona Ryder, David Harbour, and Millie Bobby Brown. Continue reading “REVIEW: Stranger Things – Season One (2016)”

RETRO REVIEW: Star Trek (2009)

Theatrical Release Poster - Paramount Pictures, et al.
Theatrical Release Poster – Paramount Pictures, et al.

The following is a retro review of Star Trek, a J. J. Abrams film.

I wasn’t a fan of Star Trek before 2009. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. J. J. Abrams made me a Star Trek fan. I’ve since gone back and seen some of the shows, but this film is still what made me a fan, and still my favorite thing in the franchise. 2009’s Star Trek is fast-paced fun. It’s exhilarating. It looks amazing, and it is one of the best science fiction action films I’ve seen.  Continue reading “RETRO REVIEW: Star Trek (2009)”