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Movie Review: ‘Spring’ (From Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead)

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It’s too bad Spring wasn’t released in time for Valentine’s Day because it’s one of the most romantic horror movies I’ve ever seen.

Written by Justin Benson and directed by Benson and Aaron Moorhead (the duo behind 2012’s Resolution), the basic plot of Spring is this: A young American man (Evil Dead 2013’s Lou Taylor Pucci) travels to Italy after his mother dies and he gets into some trouble. He’s not a bad guy, but finds himself in a situation where his being in another country might be in his best interest. While taking in the old country, he meets a mysterious woman (Nadia Hilker) and experiences love at first sight. As you might imagine, this will not turn out to be an ordinary love.

There are also appearances from The Battery’s Jeremy Gardner and Resolution’s Vinny Curran.

It’s hard to say that Spring will be something all horror fans will enjoy. It’s very slow-paced, dialogue-heavy, and it dedicates a lot of time to developing the love story that is its backbone. None of these are bad things, and many will appreciate them (I certainly do), but they’re probably not for everyone.

The poster touts it as “a hybrid of Richard Linklater and H.P. Lovecraft,” with a quote from RogerEbert.com, and that’s actually not a bad description at all. It certainly has heart and the Lovecraft influence is undeniable (even if the filmmakers say they weren’t really familiar with Lovecraft’s work when they made Resolution, which also made some reviewers think of it).

The ways in which the creature elements are presented in Spring are every bit as interesting as the elements themselves. They’re often presented almost casually with little of the type of fanfare typically utilized in creature features. This style combined with loads of stunning European scenery and architecture, thematic nature shots, and a beautiful score make for an alluring combination not often experienced in a horror film.

I don’t want to make it sound like there is very little creature horror going on in the film. There is certainly enough to satiate your lust for monsters. It’s just handled in a way that I’d refer to (perhaps for lack of a better word) as more maturely than the typical monster movie.

Another interesting angle to the whole story is the downplaying of a supernatural element which would ordinarily provide the basis of the proceedings. Explanations (whether plausible or not) are kept under the net of realism.

While it’s still pretty early in the year, I fully expect Spring to make it onto plenty of 2015’s top ten lists for horror. It’s a strong showing for the genre and one you should definitely check out.

With titles like Spring, Digging Up the Marrow (review) and What We Do in the Shadows (review), it’s quickly shaping up to be a fun year for monster movies.

Spring opens in theaters on VOD on Friday. Later this week, we’ll be posting an interview with Benson and Moorhead. Stay tuned.

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The Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Had an Interesting Location

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beetlejuice in Hawaii Movie

Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s sequels to hit movies weren’t as linear as they are today. It was more like “let’s re-do the situation but in a different location.” Remember Speed 2, or National Lampoon’s European Vacation? Even Aliens, as good as it is, follows a lot of the plot points of the original; people stuck on a ship, an android, a little girl in peril instead of a cat. So it makes sense that one of the most popular supernatural comedies of all time, Beetlejuice would follow the same pattern.

In 1991 Tim Burton was interested in doing a sequel to his 1988 original, it was called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian:

“The Deetz family moves to Hawaii to develop a resort. Construction begins, and it’s quickly discovered that the hotel will be sitting on top of an ancient burial ground. Beetlejuice comes in to save the day.”

Burton liked the script but wanted some re-writes so he asked then-hot screenwriter Daniel Waters who had just got done contributing to Heathers. He passed on the opportunity so producer David Geffen offered it to Troop Beverly Hills scribe Pamela Norris to no avail.

Eventually, Warner Bros. asked Kevin Smith to punch up Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, he scoffed at the idea, saying, “Didn’t we say all we needed to say in the first Beetlejuice? Must we go tropical?”

Nine years later the sequel was killed. The studio said Winona Ryder was now too old for the part and an entire re-cast needed to happen. But Burton never gave up, there were a lot of directions he wanted to take his characters, including a Disney crossover.

“We talked about lots of different things,” the director said in Entertainment Weekly. “That was early on when we were going, Beetlejuice and the Haunted MansionBeetlejuice Goes West, whatever. Lots of things came up.”

Fast-forward to 2011 when another script was pitched for a sequel. This time the writer of Burton’s Dark Shadows,  Seth Grahame-Smith was hired and he wanted to make sure the story wasn’t a cash-grabbing remake or reboot. Four years later, in 2015, a script was approved with both Ryder and Keaton saying they would return to their respective roles. In 2017 that script was revamped and then eventually shelved in 2019.

During the time the sequel script was being tossed around in Hollywood, in 2016 an artist named Alex Murillo posted what looked like one-sheets for a Beetlejuice sequel. Although they were fabricated and had no affiliation with Warner Bros. people thought they were real.

Perhaps the virality of the artwork sparked interest in a Beetlejuice sequel once again, and finally, it was confirmed in 2022 Beetlejuice 2 had a green light from a script written by Wednesday writers  Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The star of that series Jenna Ortega signed on to the new movie with filming starting in 2023. It was also confirmed that Danny Elfman would return to do the score.

Burton and Keaton agreed that the new film titled Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice wouldn’t rely on CGI or other other forms of technology. They wanted the film to feel “handmade.” The film wrapped in November 2023.

It’s been over three decades to come up with a sequel to Beetlejuice. Hopefully, since they said aloha to Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian there has been enough time and creativity to ensure Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will not only honor the characters, but fans of the original.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will open theatrically on September 6.

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Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel

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Maybe it’s because The Exorcist just celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year, or maybe it’s because aging Academy Award-winning actors aren’t too proud to take on obscure roles, but Russell Crowe is visiting the Devil once again in yet another possession film. And it’s not related to his last one, The Pope’s Exorcist.

According to Collider, the film titled The Exorcism was originally going to be released under the name The Georgetown Project. Rights for its North American release were once in the hands of Miramax but then went to Vertical Entertainment. It will release on June 7 in theaters then head over to Shudder for subscribers.

Crowe will also star in this year’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set to drop in theaters on August 30.

As for The Exorcism, Collider provides us with what it’s about:

“The film centers around actor Anthony Miller (Crowe), whose troubles come to the forefront as he shoots a supernatural horror movie. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) has to figure out whether he’s lapsing into his past addictions, or if something even more horrific is occurring. “

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New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie

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Deadpool & Wolverine might be the buddy movie of the decade. The two heterodox superheroes are back in the latest trailer for the summer blockbuster, this time with more f-bombs than a gangster film.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Movie Trailer

This time the focus is on Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman. The adamantium-infused X-Man is having a bit of a pity party when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene who then tries to convince him to team up for selfish reasons. The result is a profanity-filled trailer with a Strange surprise at the end.

Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It comes out on July 26. Here is the latest trailer, and we suggest if you are at work and your space isn’t private, you might want to put in headphones.

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