EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN, Vol. 20 - October 2020

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN
Vol. 20 - October 2020

by Hunter Bush


“Oh hello. I didn’t see you there.”

I love when infomercials have that bit in them, don’t you? But it’s literally true in this case, because I’m actually writing this at least a week before you’re laying eyes on it, because that’s how writing a timed monthly column works sometimes. If you were somehow under the impression that this was shipped over to the internet “hot off the presses”, I’m sorry to ruin the illusion for you.

I’m personally in a very weird place right now. On one hand, I’m extremely pleased that the weather is turning cooler and it’s almost time to carve pumpkins, but on the other hand, as the great sages in Smash Mouth foretold in the infinitely memeable wisdom of their 1999 hit All Star “My world’s on fire. How ‘bout yours?”. Things are bad all around, folks (Please vote in November) but that’s not what we’re here to talk about.

Everything Old Is New Again is all about the Adaptations, Remakes and Long-Gap Sequels coming to screens in the next month. If it’s inspired by an older movie, or by some other media, or if it’s just been a little while since the last entry in a series, it technically falls into EOINA’s purview. Like what? I’m so glad you asked:


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AMAZON PRIME:


PREMIERS:

I couldn’t find any EOINA-applicable Premiers coming to Amazon in October.


ARRIVALS:

1st:

30 Days of Night (2007) - based on the comic book mini series from Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994) - based on the co-titular Frankenstein (or, The Modern Prometheus) written in 1818 by the co-titular Mary Shelley.

Pet Sematary (2019) - a remake of Mary Lambert’s 1989 film, itself an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1983 novel.

The Possession (2012) - based on the Los Angeles Times article A Jinx in a Box? by Leslie Gornstein.

Resident Evil (2002) - based on the video game (and later multi-media) franchise that started on the original PlayStation in 1996.

Secret Window (2004) - another flick adapted from a Stephen King story.

Silent Hill (2006) - another adaptation of a video game franchise, this one also originating on the original PlayStation in 1999.

Texas Chainsaw (2013) - a preboot (combination prequel/franchise reboot) to Tobe Hooper’s 1974 masterpiece The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.


DISNEY+:


PREMIERS:

No EOINA-relevant Premiers for Disney either, gang.


ARRIVALS:

1st:

Maleficent (2014) - another “preboot”, crossing the boundary from animation into live-action this time, of Disney’s 1959 animated Sleeping Beauty.

2nd:

Cheaper By the Dozen 2 (2005) - sequel to the 2003 remake of the 1950 original which, in turn, was based on the 1948 novel based upon the life of its authors, Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey.


HULU:


PREMIERS:

2nd:

MONSTERLAND - Based on Nathan Ballingrud’s novel North American Lake Monsters, this 8-part anthology series is drenched in atmosphere. Foreboding narration runs throughout the trailer, someone talking to a young girl about how, when you’re young, there are near-infinite possibilities to what might become of you, but each time you make a decision, some of those possible yous die until you just are who you’re going to be. This dialogue is taken right from one of the stories in Balligrud’s book. To be honest, the trailer left me kind of unfazed. There’s plenty of random spooky imagery, but it’s hard to tie it all together in my head. I’m a fan of Ballingrud’s writing however, so I’m still looking forward to this.

7th:

BOOKS OF BLOOD - In 1984 & ‘85, author Clive Barker (Hellraiser) released 6 collections (six!) containing short stories, some of which have been previously adapted to the screen as the films “The Midnight Meat Train”, “Lord of Illusions”, “Candyman” and “Rawhead Rex” among others. The framing device - split into the bookend stories “The Book of Blood” and “On Jerusalem Street” - seems to be fairly faithfully adapted into the series: a psychic researcher is investigating a supposed fake psychic. In the novels, the psychic is a fraud, but is then assaulted by spirits who carve all the ensuing stories into his flesh (he’s the Book of Blood!), but in the trailer, he seems to be aware that this is what will happen. I would imagine that at least some of the stories might come from Barker’s books, but who knows. This trailer, in contrast to Monsterland, gives us a framing device as well as more clearly delineating the different stories visually. One focuses on a young woman with “a thing about noises” who stops at a roadside B&B to rest for the night and can’t stop hearing crawling noises coming from the walls (my prediction is this story will be called Roach Motel and if it is, legally I have to be hired to work on the next installment since I’m obviously on the right wavelength). Another story seems to marry ghostly visuals with the concept of “urban decay”, with a third notable story involving prossibly prophetic drawings of a suicide dive into the sea. Horror and anthologies go hand-in-hand like chocolate and peanut butter and, just as I’ll spend the spooky season devouring any and all things Reese’s, I’ll gladly watch these!


ARRIVALS:

1st:

A Beautiful Mind (2001) - based on the book by Sylvia Nasar.

Blade (1998) - inspired by the Marvel comics character created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan in The Tomb of Dracula #10 in 1973.

Blade 2 (2002) - direct sequel to the above.

Blade Trinity (2004) - third in the series with the two above, this time with Triple H!

Blood Ties (2013) - remake of the French film Rivals (Les Liens Du Sang) from 2008, itself based on the book Deus Frères: Flic & Truand by Bruno & Michel Papet.

Blue City (1986) - based on the 1947 novel by Ross Macdonald.

Drugstore Cowboy (1989) - based on the novel by James Fogle.

Guess Who (2005) - reimagining of the 1967 film Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.

Interview with the Vampire (1994) - based on the 1976 novel by Anne Rice.

Joe (2013) - based on the 1991 novel by Larry Brown.

When a Stranger Calls (2006) - based on the 1979 film.

8th:

Scream 4 (2011) - third sequel in the series begun in 1996.

9th:

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) - Long gap sequel/requel to the franchise begun in 1984, but ignoring all films in the series after 1991’s T2: Judgement Day. Previously covered for MOVIEJAWN, by me!


NETFLIX:


PREMIERS:

2nd:

SONG EXPLODER - Based on the popular podcast on the Maximum Fun network, this series allows a musician to break down their song into its component parts. Obviously your mileage may vary depending on how interested you are in hearing Michael Stipe (of R.E.M.), Ty Dolla $ign, Alicia Keys or Lin-Manuel Miranda break down their respective works, but I think the podcast is fascinating for fans of a particular work or aspiring musicians. The biggest cliché in conducting an interview is to ask an artist “Where do you get your ideas?”, because it’s the question everyone wants to know. So now that you can know the answer, it would be silly not to take advantage of it, yeah?

9th:

THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR - Mike Flanagan returns to his Haunting of… series (following up 2018’s The Haunting of Hill House) with this one based on Henry James’ 1898 novel The Turn of the Screw (which I have not read so it’ll be a surprise to me which is exciting!). There’s a lot of water imagery and talk about dreams in this trailer, which sets a very eerie mood, but not the same mood as Hill House’s trailers did. I think this is an incredibly smart call on Flanagan & co.’s part, as is the choice to make Bly Manor visually distinct. Obviously set in a different era than House, Manor also doesn’t utilize exactly the same color palette, skewing a bit more pastel. Aurally, the trailer had a creepy, baroque instrumental version of Mötley Crüe’s Home Sweet Home (which seems era-appropriate if a teensy bit on the nose thematically). Y’all. I didn’t even need to watch this to decide whether I would watch it or not - Flanagan is a modern master and I’m here for whatever he works on.

19th:

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES: Season 1, Part 2 - I can’t find any real info on what kinds of stories might be getting covered in the back half of the first season of Netflix’s dynamite update of the true crimes and unexplained events TV series that ran most of the time between 1987 and 2002 (and was briefly revived in 2007/‘08). The first 6 episodes included some truly haunting and sometimes truly infuriating cases, mostly set within the real world, with only one dipping into the realm of the supernatural. It also featured mostly cases from the U.S. In the back half, the rumor is there will be a greater focus on international cases, making use of Netflix’s global platform. Apparently, the public attention on the first 6 eps helped lead to some definitive forward motion in at least a few of the cases, so expanding the scope of the series might help folks in other countries find the closure they deserve. I was initially frustrated that Netflix had split the season up like they had, but if they can routinely deliver new episodes every few months, I’m all for it. Plus, since there have been some changes to the early cases, maybe we’ll get to see the infamous Unsolved Mysteries “UPDATE” graphic!

21st:

REBECCA - Ben Wheatley’s remake of the 1940 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, both are adaptations of the 1938 Gothic novel by Dame Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca is a ghost story at its heart, but not in the literal way that, say The Haunting of Bly Manor is likely to be. When a lovely young woman (Lili James) falls for, and eventually marries, a wealthy young widower (Armie Hammer) she finds that he and his entire household are haunted by the memory of his dead wife, the titular Rebecca. The central mystery, as explained by housekeeper Ms. Danvers (Kristin Scott Thomas), concerns how Rebecca died - “the accident” - and how it is affecting de Winter (Hammer). I think Ben Wheatley’s filmography is extremely strong for someone who isn’t yet well known and this might be what he needs to get the opportunity to take that next step. Plus, is there any conceivable reason I wouldn’t want to watch a steamy romance between James & Hammer especially with a spooky subtextual presence looming behind it all? There is not.

23rd:

THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT - Based on the 1983 novel by Walter Tevis about a chess prodigy, this miniseries stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth, a child chess prodigy raised by a mentally unwell mother who died, leaving Beth an orphan. The trailer starts out with reporters asking what it’s like for Beth to be the only girl on the chess tournament circuit - she likes it - before moving on to Beth admitting that only one Russian player actually intimidates her and finally showing scenes of Beth succumbing to apparent madness and alcoholism. There’s even a line of dialogue about the relation between genius and madness, which you hear over a shot of Beth imagining/hallucinating a chess game playing out on her ceiling. This looks actually really interesting, even though I found the clips of Beth falling over drunk to be kind of hilarious when shown in staccato as they are in the trailer. I’m sure those scenes will have more emotional impact when allowed to play out at their natural pace.


ARRIVALS:

1st:

Yogi Bear (2010) - based on the animated character originally voiced by Daws Butler who debuted as a supporting character on a 1958 episode of The Huckleberry Hound Show before striking out on his own.

14th:

Moneyball (2011) - based on the non-fiction novel by Michael Lewis, subtitled The Art of Winning an Unfair Game.


SHUDDER:


PREMIERS:

26th:

THE CREEPSHOW HALLOWEEN SPECIAL - In 1982 George Romero released Creepshow, an anthology horror movie inspired by the colorful, pulpy world of EC horror comics from the ‘50s. The picture was written by a favorite, lesser-known author of mine, a guy called Stephen King. In 2019, Shudder brought Creepshow back under the guidance of showrunner Greg Nicotero (special effects master behind The Walking Dead among many other credits) as a series  and now, before the series returns for its second season, they are releasing a Halloween Special! So cool, so spooky! And, it’s animated! For me, knowing that this is Shudder - and is being directed by Nicotero - means that they won’t shy away from the subject matter being gross, bloody, scary or what have you, despite being animated. I grew up dreaming that American entertainment might one day adopt the concept of “animation, but not for kids” that most of the rest of the world seems to have a handle on - beyond just smutty cartoon erotica - and this looks to fit right in with what I had in mind. Even more fun, they managed to track down another story by that King guy, called “Survivor Type”, to adapt into one of the segments! And apparently King’s son Joe Hill - who had a small cameo as a boy in the ‘82 Creepshow - is a writer in his own right and his story “Twittering from Circus of the Dead” is being adapted for the other segment! The Halloween Special features the voice acting of Keifer Sutherland in “Survivor Type”, and Joey King in “Twittering from the Circus of the Dead”!


ARRIVALS:

1st:

From Beyond (1986) - loosely inspired by the H.P. Lovecraft story


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Pickins are somewhat slim this month it seems but what we *are* getting actually looks pretty good. Or mayhap I’m just starved for spooky content. Also, it should be noted that, by completing this column and sending in to Moviejawn, I have all but guaranteed that I’ll find out about some new, exciting thing that should *absolutely* have been in this column! I don’t make the rules; it’s the same universal mechanic that means your bus will show up 30 seconds after you light a cigarette or the one overcast day you leave your umbrella at home will be the day it rains the hardest. But what can ya do?

Thank you, as always, for reading EOINA. If you’ve enjoyed yourself, or wanna chat about one of the flicks mentioned (as above), feel free to drop a comment (below). Thanks as always to Ben and Rosalie for making MOVIEJAWN happen and to my fellow Jawnies for making it what it is.

If you want more from me, I co-host the Hate Watch / Great Watch podcast alongside Allison Yakulis here on the Moviejawn podcast network. This column should drop right around the time our 39th episode does. We’re talking about Jordan Peele’s sophomore effort Us from 2019 with filmmaker This Jes. It’s a fun podcast and you would like it! Until next time - Long Live the Movies and don’t forget to vote!




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This piece was written for Moviejawn where you can find tons of other excellent movie-centric writings, a shop where you can subscribe to the quarterly physical zine and also listen to the  I Saw It In a Movie,  Cinematic Crypt  or  Hate Watch / Great Watch  podcasts!
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