Displaying items by tag: Monica Bellucci

BEETLEJUICE, BEETLEJUICE

US, 2024, 105 minutes, Colour.

Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, Nick Kellington, Santiago Cabrera, Burn Gorman, Danny DeVito.

Directed by Tim Burton.

In Beetlejuice folklore, you have to call out Beetlejuice’s name three times and he will appear. But, this time it needed only just one repetition. And here he is, 36 years after his first appearance, ready to entertain old fans and new fans.

Perhaps it is something about the world situation in 2024 that the highest moneymaking films so far have been quite a contrast, the violent fantasy of Deadpool and Wolverine and the wonderful exploration of human motor emotions in Inside Out 2. Now Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice has made over $100 million at the American box office on its first weekend. So, we can ask, is our world with all the wars, deaths in war, cost of living crises, in need of a fantasy distraction, an indulgence in absurd comedy.

Because, that is what we have here, absurd characters in over the top absurd situations, lots of jokes, special ghostly effects, Beetlejuice’s wisecracks, all kinds of unexpected dramatic turns. There is a surface world with strange human characters, Winona Ryder again as Lydia now a TV host on ghost appearances, her mother, Catherine O’Hara again as Delia, an eccentrically loud artist – but Astrid, Lydia’s daughter, Jenna Ortega, has grown up sceptical of the whole Beetlejuice ghostly world. Her scepticism is about to come crashing down. And director, Tim Burton, going back to his old fantasy styles.

In the meantime, there in the Afterlife, Michael Keaton is Beetlejuice, always sly, raucously comic, with a host of office secretaries, all skeletal bureaucrats, especially the hapless Bob, suited, but in for some tormented times because a callous janitor in the Afterlife, played by Danny DeVito, vacuuming and polishing, the machine in water, electric shock and opening up the store of dead severed human parts – especially, of Beetlejuice’s former wife, played exotically by Monica Bellucci who will pursue him relentlessly.

Fans of the original will be happy to get back into the Afterlife, the madcap visuals, the special effects, the eerie creatures… And there is plenty of plot, Astrid tricked into helping a ghost to regain his life, Lydia to the rescue and agreeing to marry Beetlejuice, his wife in pursuit, Delia ending up in the Afterlife, and, to cap it all, Willem Dafoe, seeming to appear in every other film these days, as a skeletal actor who is in charge of investigations, preening himself in his performance, modelled on television shows, of how the police ought to act!

And, right at the end, there is a very long wedding sequence, all kinds of mayhem with a performance of McArthur Park, everybody singing along…

Beetlejuice may not appeal to every audience, especially those who don’t have a high tolerance for dark fantasy. But, he will probably appeal, in his own very distinctive Michael Keaton way, to most everyone else!

NEKROTRONIC

Australia, 2018, 99 minutes, Colour.

Ben O'Toole, Monica Bellucci, Caroline Ford, Tess Haubrich, Epine Bob Saviea, David Wenham.

Directed by Kiah Roache-Turner.

Certainly one for the fans – the average audience tuning in might be bewildered, and even more bewildered. Probably best to quote an enthusiast to give an indication – Bloody, Cheesy, Fun : Krush_Burner25 July 2019  The most important thing one should know about this film is: "Nekrotronic" is a truly guilty pleasure for anyone who's into gunfirghts, gore and flat jokes.

This film was written by two brothers, Kayak Roache-Turner and Tristan Roache-Turner. That made a number of short films but achieved some fame and notoriety with their horror film, Wyrmwood. After this film they made a sequel, Wyrmwood Apocalypse.

While the film opens in a very mundane situation, two workers on a plant, one very ordinary (Ben O’Toole), the other continually on his phone, eagerly pursuing horror and ghosts themes, and some corny humour throughout the film, especially when he himself becomes a ghost, played by Epine Bob Savea. So far, so corny.

But then the graphic novel themes and visuals set in, the opening up of a weird plot, evil influences, diabolical (initially shown with entertaining animation) invade the world, especially through social media, intending a complete takeover. The hapless worker suddenly discovers that he is not ordinary, that he is discarded son of the archvillain, of all people, Monica Bellucci, destined to confront her with a number of daemon-busting allies.

In one way or the plot is very complex, try to work out who is who. On the other hand, it is straightforward, good versus evil. And, lots of graphics, special effects, stunt work, and fights galore (punctuated with that ghostly humour).

While the hero seems somewhat nerdish, he continues to rise even further to the situation, having to make a decision between his mother and opposing her. And, in several female warrior allies. There are ghosts, ordinary citizens being drained of their energies…

And, there is David Wenham is one of the initial fighters.

If this kind of film has to be made, and the bloggers are highly enthusiastic, then the Roache-Turner brothers who wrote the film, produced it, and Kiah Roache Turner directing, are the ones to make it.