Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Scorecard, movies that need more love,
Netflix has taken sides in a debate that has been raging since 2008 - they are officially Team Edward. Earlier this week the streamer announced they are developing the animated series Midnight Sun, which is basically Twilight from Edward Cullen's perspective. I'm not sure if we are ready for this level of brooding. 😮💨
Maybe go check on your Team Jacob friends.
Here’s what we have for you this week:
Concession Stand Scorecard: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Temp These Takes: Movies we love that we think should get more love
Watchlist Worthy: Two of the biggest stars from across the pond are teaming up
ICYMI-On The Pod: New Mexico Drew talks about his full watch with Eric and Josh.
This week’s movie - “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”
Letterboxd Description:
The ghost with the most is back.
After a 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 teenage daughter, Astrid, accidentally opens the portal to the Afterlife.
Best Watched With
Beetlejuice diehards, and definitely not your kid cousins.
End credit thoughts
Fans of the original movie who have waited 36 years (which is only like 13 months to the dead) should find enough in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to have fun, and first-time viewers get a fresh spin on a beloved story. While many of the elements from the original are there, most of the charm and magic feel sucked out of the sequel.
The opening title sequence had us feeling like it was 1998 and we were back in Halloweentown. We get to see Winter River from a birds eye view while Danny Elfman gives us his iconic theme song with modern embellishments that make it feel almost entirely new. The CGI was modernized and the makeup and costume work held up to the bar the original movie set. Although fun, the music, set design and costumes are fashioned into coat tails this movie rides until the end.
Michael Keaton, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, and Willem Dafoe all give solid performances, but Catherine O'Hara was a pure delight on screen.
There are at least a few plot lines that contend to be the main plot line, and what we are left with is a story that feels half-hearted and distracted. It's evident that some care was put into making sure this movie can be enjoyed as a standalone, but we recommend seeing the original before seeing this sequel.
There are some good laughs, a fully-loaded cast, and some really fun moments, but there's no reason you can't stream this one while you hand out candy to trick-or-treaters at home.
Wait to stream this one.
Watch the trailer here
Underrated movies we think more people should see
Eric
The Place Beyond the Pines is one of those movies that I LOVE that people either don't know about, or don't like (criminal offense by the way, hint hint JOSHUA). We know a BIG reason for Josh tuning out after the first act has to do with one of his beloved actors meeting an early end (spoiler-ish).
HOWEVER, this movie is a secret and subtle killer for me. I love it. While it is by NO means a perfect movie, it has all the juice. Beautifully shot with a bruising cast, this movie will make you feel. While it seems familiar at times, it still hits you in the gut thanks to again, the cast. A film worthy of a watch from anyone and everyone.
Sarah
The Black Stallion (1979). Based on the books by Walter Farley, a boy shipwrecks on an island with only a black Arabian stallion as his companion. The setting, the music, the story. There is no dialogue for close to 30 minutes of the movie, I’d say, and it’s INCREDIBLE. Just a boy and a horse. My sister and I watched this movie on repeat as kids. It feels niche because it’s a total horse nerd movie, but more people need to know it!
Josh
Leave No Trace (2018). I know Rotten Tomatoes is not the end-all-be-all, but it did receive 253 critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and is currently sitting at 100% which is saying something. There is minimal dialogue and minimal characters but maximum effort and incredible execution. A gripping story paired with powerful performances from Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit) and Ben Foster (3:10 to Yuma) is expected from the writer-director Debra Granik, who directed a 20-year-old Jennifer Lawrence to her first Oscar nomination in Winter’s Bone (2010). Granik has only a few movie credits to her name but deserves all the flowers for the work she has put out.
New Mexico Drew
Two movies (one newer, one older) that all of you need to go run out and see: Dream Scenario (2023) and Cliffhanger (1993). Dream Scenario is a weird indy movie where you get to see Nic Cage as you've never seen him before – being an absolutely forgettable nobody, and still somehow managing to be captivating.
Cliffhanger was a box office hit in the early 90s, but is not praised enough as one of the best action flicks of all time (and my personal Sylvester Stallone favorite). If you want to think, watch Dream Scenario, if you want to feel alive, go watch Sly frolic down snowy mountain sides in slutty shorts and a tank top.
What’s your take? Hit Reply or leave a comment below and let us know!
Blood on Snow directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga
Two things we didn't know we needed before seeing this announcement: Aaron Taylor Johnson and Tom Hardy in the same movie (how has it taken this long?) and diving into the world of Norwegian organized crime. Can't wait to hear Hardy's voice choice for this one.
The movie will be based on the novel by the same name, and the author is helping adapt the screenplay (usually a good sign). Production starts later this year and we have no idea when it will actually hit theaters. Until then we'll be daydreaming about Future Bond and Bain playing in the snow with Norwegian accents.
Letterboxd Description:
Hoffman’s trusted hitman, Olav, is a cold, efficient killer, perfect for the job. But beneath his ruthless exterior lies an unexpected intelligence and an unwavering moral code shaped by a complicated childhood… When Hoffman orders his own wife to be murdered, Olav’s principles clash with his loyalties. Instead of pulling the trigger, he hatches a scheme that makes him Hoffman’s next target, and with nowhere safe to turn, Olav forms an uneasy alliance that places him at the heart of Oslo’s deadly gang war. Once a violent enforcer, Olav’s choice makes him an unlikely hero in a world where no good deed goes unpunished.
Movies directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga:
No Time To Die (2021)
Maniac (2018)
ICYMI: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent: A Living A Stream Episode #034
🎧 Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
🎥 Watch the video of the latest podcast on Spotify
In this episode, Eric, Josh, and New Mexico Drew discuss the movie The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022) that is streaming on Peacock.
They use the Jimmy V 1993 ESPY Speech rubric—did it hold them in thought, make them laugh, and move their emotions to tears—while interweaving the movie's narratives with their life narratives.
In this episode, Eric, Josh, and New Mexico Drew dive into The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, starring Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal, exploring its emotional and comedic undertones. They share personal reflections on friendship, family, career, and the impact of films on their lives.
Additionally, one host reveals the unusual discovery of being born with a single tonsil and provides a compelling movie recommendation on Peacock.
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