Tag Archives: Film

Movie Night: Beetlejuice

Year: 1988

Director: Tim Burton

Production Company: Geffen Company

Leads: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetle—

No! Ahh!

What is there to say about this immensely enjoyable Tim Burton classic that hasn’t already been done to death? Heh heh. This tale of a very-much-in-love couple who plunge to their demise off a New England covered bridge, only to be resurrected as hosts in their own house, is such a staple of the Tim Burton canon that its only surprise is not featuring Johnny Depp. At least there’s the magnificent Danny Elfman score, setting the stage for many a musical-of-the-dead to come.

It wasn't the smoking that killed me …

It wasn’t the smoking that killed me …

This was, of course, the first time Little Satis had seen Beetlejuice, and I think that some of the humor escaped him slightly. After all, the whole movie concept is a just a touch on the dark side, and much of it relies on understanding the many ways there are to die. I actually found myself holding myself in check at points and deliberately not pointing things out – such as Sylvia Sidney‘s breathing smoke from her slit throat – just to avoid disturbing a ten-year-old. I’ll admit – it’s been a while since I’ve seen the film myself, and I forgot a few parts.

One part I most definitely did not forget, however, is Winona Ryder‘s ultra-goth Lydia Deetz, which, along with her portrayal of Mina Murray in Dracula a few years later, firmly cemented my lifelong crush for her. The funny thing is that, looking back on it, she really wasn’t all that miserable; apart from an obsession with all things weird and strange, it wasn’t until she met the deceased Maitlands that she uttered that favorite phrase of goth kids everyhere: “I wish I were dead.” And at the end—what’s with the dancing?

Ah, Winona …

Ah, Winona …

Still, there’s enough inexplicable shenanigans in the movie to let that one slide, and this is perhaps the film’s only fault: not everything makes 100% sense. Of course, it could be argued that’s part of its charm, and I wouldn’t disagree – but why on earth do dead people end up on an outer space sand planet when they leave their house? Why did they end up confined to their house in the first place? And why, oh why, couldn’t Beetlejuice tell Lydia his own name? He freaking broadcasts it on dead-TV! And why did he need to marry Lydia? Hm … Beetlejuice, Corpse Bride … it seems Tim Burton has himself a little obsession with marrying the dead, no?

Anyway, Beetlejuice is an ineffably enjoyable movie (I’m not sure that even makes sense), and if you haven’t seen it, you don’t deserve to be alive!

 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Satis Logo 2014

Movie Night: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Year: 2009

Director: David Yates

Production Company: Warner Bros.

Leads: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint

Screen Shot 2014-10-15 at 1.12.59 PMContinuing on with our journey into the Potterverse, Little Satis and I sat down to watch the sixth installment of the Harry Potter movie franchise (having concluded the book sometime in the spring) for this week’s movie night. I’m not quite sure what took us so long to get around to it, given our only rule was to have read the book before watching the movie, but when all is said and done, life often gets in the way.

In it, we watch as Harry Potter, played excellently as always by the remarkable Daniel Radcliffe, embarks on his sixth year at Hogwarts, where he excels at potions thanks to a well-annotated textbook from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince. Meanwhile, the sinister Death Eaters are wreaking havoc on both the magical and muggle worlds as they follow the now-returned Lord Voldemort in his conquest to control all of…well, England? The world? I guess it was never terribly clear in the books, either.

You get a GIF!

You get a GIF!

The film seems to have two strong focal points, in keeping with the book: Dumbledore’s (Michael Gambon) insistence that Harry continue to learn more about the young Voldemort and his early rise to power, and the emotional traumas of being young and in love (Hermione and Ron, Harry and Ginny, etc.). Herein, however, lies unfortunately the film’s greatest weakness, which it shares with most of the Harry Potter film franchise. In trying too hard, I feel, to keep to the letter of the book, the film rushes its pace along, and never truly gives enough weight to the emotions and feelings of its lead characters. As the books in the series grew ever longer, trying to compact the content into a two-and-a-half hour movie became increasingly difficult, and the pacing suffers as a result. For an example of how to do an epic book conversion well, see Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: whilst many would say the films are too long, you certainly can’t fault them for taking their time over character development.

Ooh…and another!

Ooh…and another!

Then there are the small incidents that were never in the book at all, and the most egregious of these is the burning down of the Burrow. Not only did it not happen in the book, it was entirely unnecessary, leads to difficulty with setting in the following movies, and leaves a gaping plot hole: if the Death Eaters are capable of knowing perfectly well where Harry Potter is at any given moment, why didn’t Voldemort simply apparate there himself and kill him?

Having said all of that, it was still an immensely enjoyable film, and the shock of the conclusion – even knowing it from the book – was handled superbly. Alan Rickman’s portrayal of the duplicitous Severus Snape was spot-on as always, continuing to make him (even though we haven’t finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows yet) my favorite character in the Potterverse.

The brilliant – and secretive – Severus Snape.

The brilliant – and secretive – Severus Snape.

 

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 

Satis Logo 2014

Movie Night: Robin Hood: Men in Tights

Don’t forget – you can claim your free copy of The Redemption of Erâth: Consolation just by emailing satiswrites@icloud.com and telling me which digital format you’d prefer (ePub, Kindle, PDF, etc.)!

***

Year: 1993

Director: Mel Brooks

Production Company: Brooksfilms

Leads: Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, Roger Rees, Amy Yasbeck

1Welcome back to Movie Night, after a very long hiatus! I can’t pretend I’ll be able to update this with a new movie each week as I used to; my new work schedule doesn’t always allow for a weekly movie with Little Satis as it once did.

Nonetheless, we did manage to sit down this week for a viewing of an old favorite of mine, Robin Hood: Men in Tights. I had some reservations about letting Little Satis watch it (and not for the raciness); he isn’t terribly familiar with the Robin Hood story in general, and I had kind of wanted to let him see Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves or the supposedly excellent BBC adaptation. I had to quiz him on the lore of Robin Hood first, and having decided that he passed (with a D, most likely), started it up on Netflix.

The Everlast™ chastity belt.

The Everlast™ chastity belt.

It had been a long time since I had seen Men in Tights, and I’ll admit to having forgotten much of it; mostly things like the blind Blinkin and the Everlast™ chastity belt are what stuck in my head. I forgot that it opens with a brilliant scene with the late great Isaac Hayes; I forgot the wonderful cameo by Patrick Stewart at the end; I forgot the utter ridiculousness of Mel Brooks’ humor. (This was Little Satis’ first Mel Brooks movie, incidentally; Spaceballs might be next.) I also forgot how utterly Jewish it all is.

A lot of the humor was lost on Little Satis, and whilst some of it I explained (for example, the brilliant Robin of Loxley and Marian of Bahgel quip), some of it I left well alone (such as the key to the greatest treasure in the kingdom being the one to Maid Marian’s chastity belt). Also the bit about circumcisions. And the pantomime sword erection. And Tracey Ullman‘s “I touched it” line. And…well, most of the movie, come to think of it.

 

“I knew her parents before they were taken in the plague, Lord and Lady Bahgel. You know, you two were made for each other. I mean, what a combination. Loxley and Bahgel! It can’t miss!”

 

Is that a sword in your pocket, or…?

Is that a sword in your pocket, or…?

Ah, well…there was more than enough slapstick to amuse a ten-year-old, such as the overweight handmaiden jumping to her horse and cracking the pavement, or the repossession of Robin’s entire castle (carted away on wheels), or just about every scene with Blinkin (played marvelously by Mark Blankfield). Mel Brooks has an amazing knack for producing comedy that can appeal to all ages – the raciness just above the heads of the younger crowd, and the slapstick not quite too goofy to bring a smile to the most hardened of adults. Ultimately, though, it’s the sly references to contemporary pop culture that make the movie (or at least, made it at the time), and I will admit that it serves only to date it now; nonetheless, my favorite quote from the whole film is Cary Elwes’ dig at Kevin Costner‘s inability to put on a British accent:

 

“And why should the people listen to you?”

“Because unlike some other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent.”

 

If you haven’t seen it, it’s well-worth the watch; if you have, watch it again. It’s just as funny now as it was twenty years ago.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Featured image from http://www.filmcaptures.com/robin-hood-men-in-tights/.

Satis Logo 2014